Discoveries From Within
by Aki-Hoshi
Summary: Raised as a muggle by her witch mother, a girl enters Hogwarts only to be thrown in with the people she's learned to hate. This is her story of struggle in an unfamiliar world, trying to find the balance between the seemingly good, and the reknowned bad.
1. Foreword

**PLEASE READ BEFORE GOING ON!!!!**

**01.10.05:** Ok, I know it's kind of late in the game to be doing this, but as I've been re-reading my story…I realised that I really needed some type of foreword. Basically, I've been having a lot of questions about the maturity of Raven at the age of eleven, which I understand, but I have reasons for the way I'm writing this story, which include the fact that I am a 21-year-old trying to revert my mind back ten years (not an easy task…I don't really remember how I thought), and that Raven is in general a lot more mature by nature…her early childhood was much different than Harry's. Also this story is actually Raven's auto-biography, with strange quirks, which are explained in the text below. So, please enjoy, and if you have any questions, don't be afraid to drop me a line. I love to hear from my reviewers. :D

Note: You DO NOT need to re-read the rest of the story, other than chapter twelve, which I have just finished, and will be posting in a minute. I have only fixed a few typos in chapter one, so re-reading is not necessary to figure out what is going on, if you have already read chapters one through eleven.

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**Discoveries From Within **

**Foreword**

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_The chronicles you are about to read are a mixture of many things. Original thoughts, musings after years have passed, descriptions that I would have never remembered on my own if it weren't for the quill that was given to me as a gift early on, which I still have, and am currently writing with. Hopefully the manner in which it is written does not confuse you._

_I wouldn't say straight off that my life was extraordinary, not when compared to that of many wizards passed, or that of my best friend, either. But it's had a certain…danger and mystery to it, with a close observation that I realise now was very odd for someone of my age to have, at the time, anyway._

_I'm not even completely sure why I've felt the need to compile all of my thoughts and happenings of my life into a more organised book. I really don't care if anyone else reads this. I think, perhaps, that it's for me. And for my family. So as I sit here, growing old, I can remember in perfect clarity what has happened in my life. And my children and my grandchildren and one day, my great grandchildren can read it, and know about a part of their family history, as well as about a time when all that the Wizarding World knew, changed._

_I have asked those close to me, to read my story, and add things to it. Those passages are obviously written in third person, so as not to confuse it with my first person point of view. These writings are things or conversations that I was never aware of at the time, and have been told over the years, and sometimes just learned of, after they used my quill to write it down. _

_It's really amazing what your brain will remember, if given the chance. There is no chance of remembering incorrectly with this quill, and even if you can't remember what you felt, the quill will draw it out of you, scrawling the words on parchment in the closest facsimile possible, as I think we all know, there are some emotions, thoughts, and concepts that words can just not do justice. Comprehension comes from experience, not from reading._

_I'm sure my dear friend Hermione would nearly balk at that last sentence. But she's gotten better. Much better._

_Well, I must sign this foreword off, and let you dear readers, my family, my friends, and even those I don't know, fill your minds with what is written on these pages. I only hope there is some knowledge you can gain from between the covers._

_Raven_


	2. Preliminary Discoveries

_10.30.04: Ok...reposting, again. Sorry, but reading through it, I found some problems, not to mention that I noticed that some things just didn't sound right anymore. This is definitely a work in progress...It's like that one story that will never be perfect and will take years to finish, if at all. shrug There's not enough changes to re-read, but if you want to, go ahead! And for those new readers, thanks for checking out my story!_

_Some random day: Just fixing a few errors, for those who've already read this chapter...and I'll have a few explanations at the beginning of the next chapter on some things I didn't want to say at the beginning of this one, so as not to give away anything. Also a shout out to **fauxmuggle,** my first reviewer, I am terribly sorry if reposting this will take away your review, but I have it saved somewhere special. Thank you so much for your constructive criticism and kind words!_

Summary: This is a girl's quest to find out just why she was placed in a house with people she hates. A witch, raised as a muggle, finds out about her family history. Unexpectedly, she is inducted into Slytherin House, and is doing everything in her power to find out why.

A/N: Man, that's a sucky summary. I just wasn't sure how to summarize it. Well, this is certainly not my first fanfiction. Just the first one I've posted and have enough drive to finish. : ) Please review, I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant it.)

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**Preliminary Discoveries**

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My name is Raven Harrell

And I hate my house.

Ok, I'm sure that made no sense to those who have no inkling as to what I'm on about. Allow me to explain .

As I am sure only people of my kind will read this, so I will not go into elaborate detail as to how it all works or the nature of such well-known characteristics.

Oh bloody hell, listen to me. I sound like some famous muggle author who does nothing but think of clever ways to state simple concepts .

Now back to subject. My house. I hate it. Not the old cottage my mother lives in back in England. No, the "house" that I am currently sitting in within the great walls of this magnificent school. I am talking of the "Noble" House of Slytherin residing in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Many of my housemates may kill me at reading those words. Let them try. Those fools are not very scary or intimidating. They just hide behind their family's names and a stupid old man with power issues. Yes, I am speaking of Voldemort. And quit your gasps of shock. Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. Or so I heard one brilliant witch say one day, and I agree .

Which actually brings me to the beginning of this whole fiasco.

Seeing as I was raised a muggle, it came as a huge surprise to me when I got my acceptance letter to Hogwarts. At first, I thought it was a joke. Me, a witch. Hmph. Nope, sorry, not me. Not that I didn't believe in the mythical or magical, I just didn't think that I was a part of it, as much as I longed to be sometimes. And now I finally was .

That was when my mother told me. I think she knew she couldn't avoid the subject after I got my letter. I'm not sure why she waited so long to say something. She would have had to tell me eventually, anyway .

She started with my father. See, I had always thought my father was killed in the muggle Gulf War. I knew he had died shortly after I was conceived. What I didn't know was that my mother and father were both magical folk. Apparently, dad's parents were muggles, and so he (and my mother) were targeted by Voldemort and his followers, and my father was killed. My then pregnant mother fled and hid, starting a life as a muggle, raising me on her own, with a little help from her parents. Goddess knows how she managed. Growing up in a well-to-do wizard family, knowing only magic, and then raising her only child as a muggle to keep her safe. She was incredibly grateful for what little news and money her parents could send her unnoticed for the first few years. Until they too, were murdered. The money mum took to Gringotts, to exchange it for muggle money to live off of. The news she kept hidden, storing it away for me, when I came of age .

The news of my family's real history shocked me into tears. I had hardly understood the stuff about the bank, and learning to live like a…muggle, as my mother called them. I mean, wasn't I, though with Wizard decent, still at heart a muggle? My mother and non-magical ways were all I knew my whole life. Mum's warm smiles, home baked cookies, homemade spaghetti and macaroni and cheese. Now all she has ever told me about her family and my father and his family were lies. The only truth was how mum and dad met. At school. At Hogwarts, where I would be attending soon. Oh, what a cruel joke this was. I realized then that I had never seen a picture of dad or any thing else from mum's younger days. I asked her about it, and a sad but understanding look passed over her face. Then she took me by the hand and led me to the attic.

In old wooden boxes, hidden in the wall, mother had stowed away her things. I was shocked to see the photographs of mum and dad together. They were moving! So this was why she never showed me. Oh, and how handsome father was! And how beautiful and thin mother looked when age, worry and a hard life were not upon her shoulders. Not that mother was unattractive. She was tall, if not a little plump, with shining blue eyes that always sparkled and long dark hair, straight as an arrow. And as to the pictures of father, he was also tall, with jet-black curly hair falling into his black eyes, which were framed with gold rims. He also was thin and seemed to hold his head high and stand tall. They looked so in love. I sighed at the thought.

I suppose I've never mentioned what I look like. And I suppose what I'll tell you is only my own opinion, which most would say is untrue. Especially Mum.

As I've said before, both my parents had dark hair, so it's only natural that I do too. Seeing as my mother's hair is straight, and my father's curly, my hair wound up somewhere in between. Long and wavy, it tends to fall into soft curls down my back and surprisingly, never tangles. My eyes are completely different than either of my parents, however. I've always thought they were blue/grey, but one day, my friend Raquel asked if my eyes had always been so green. Sure enough, when I looked in the mirror, they were a bright, clear green. Startlingly viridescent against the slight tan of my skin .

I wouldn't call myself fat, although I've felt that way more than once. My mother always told me that I just developed sooner that other girls. While I was only eleven, I already had a chest growing, soon to be the bane of my existence. My curves were already filling out my boyish child's figure, making me appear older than my years. And I hated it. While the media made it seem that boys would like you if you had a large chest, I found that fact to be quite the opposite. As they started being interested in stick-thin girls, I was that fat one no one liked. Oh well. My books were more interesting than boys anyway, even if they are generally cute. Stupid prats .

Speaking of books and boys, after I had learned of my family history, my mother and I took a trip to London, to go to Gringotts to withdraw some money for my school supplies. My grandparents had set up an account in my name, for when I came of the age to attend Hogwarts, which I undoubtedly would. As I mentioned before, I still don't understand why my mother kept it all a secret, knowing where I would be attending in eleven years.

Upon arriving in Diagon Alley, I was amazed at the sheer fancifulness of it all. The reminiscence of Old London swelled in my chest, I had always been interested in history and traditions of old culture. Old shops were all crammed together, bobbles and food sat on tables and in bins out in the cobblestone street. And the clothes the other witches and wizards were wearing stood out in bright, velvety colours with rich embroidery. I couldn't wait to get my own robes. We moved down the street and approached a tall stone building with beautiful columns reaching up into the sky.

Gringotts was a grand building and although my mother had described the goblins, I was still fascinated and a little wary of them.

We approached the nearest available goblin and my mother pulled out an old key made of brass and informed the goblin that I would like to make a withdrawl. It wasn't so simple, however. Although I had the key, I needed to prove I was of age to open the vault. Since my mother had no wizard documents for my birth, she showed the goblin the muggle ones. The goblin looked at the documents in confusion, and then proceeded to call for his supervisor. After a little explaining, the supervisor allowed the access to the vault, and we were led to a cart on tracks that would lead us to my vault .

The ride was exhilarating, if not a little fast. Mother didn't handle it too well, muttering about always hating that thing when we got off. I thought it was rather like a roller coaster, which I liked well enough. Once we were outside, we immediately went to task of buying all of my needed school supplies .

First we went to Ollivander's, to buy my wand. He was a nice old man, I thought, with sparkling blue eyes, as wise as their years. He was delighted to see Mum again, reciting her wand as though he had just sold it to her yesterday. Grinning kindly, he set about his store, bringing down wands for me to try

It didn't take long to find my wand: mahogany, unicorn hair core, sturdy, twelve inches long, good for transfiguration. I was so excited I could hardly keep it in the box as we left and went to the next store.

I was fitted for robes at Madam Malkin's, and I bought a few extra fashionable ones to wear on off days. Next we went to the apothecary, which smelled quite foul. Quickly, we bought my needed supplies and phials and left .

Mother asked if I would like an animal, but seeing as I wanted a cat, and I wasn't allowed to have one, I declined, saying I would probably buy one later .

We bought my cauldron, my quills and ink, with a few extra colours in there: red, blue, green and purple. Then we headed off to Flourish and Blotts to buy my textbooks .

Upon entering, it was obvious there was some sort of gathering in the back of the store. Looking around, piles and piles of books, with even more shelves lined with old tomes. It was my wildest dream come true. I was in heaven. So many books…I immediately went to task to get all of my books for the year, and stopped to pick up a few extras for background information .

Just as I was finishing up my browsing, my mother off to talk with old friends, it became suddenly quiet as everyone's attention was diverted to the back of the store .

They were introducing some wizard named Gilderoy Lockhart, a rather fake-looking bloke in my opinion. His smile was much too wide and well, his robes made him look rather odd. Just fake all around, even his voice and laughter sounded fake.

Right away, he singled out a boy from the crowd, apparently named Harry Potter. He was a cute boy with messy dark hair, deep green eyes and round glasses. He looked a little dirty, but it only added to his shy charm. He didn't look very happy to be up front in the spotlight with "Mr. Fake. "

Taking a look at one of the books displayed up at the front of the store, called _Magical Me_, I looked at the ridiculous picture of Lockhart on the cover, and scoffed. Glancing down at my supply list, I noticed that the book was one of my required texts. Groaning inwardly, I put the book in my already towering stack and moved to the history section near the front window.

If I hadn't been looking over _Hogwarts, a History_, I probably would have missed this next event. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of white sunlight. I turned my head and saw another boy, attractive as well, but such the opposite of Harry Potter that I had to wonder if he was actually human .

His bright white-blond hair was swept back off of his pale aristocratic face in such a way that would have looked horribly wrong on anyone else. He held himself as a royal would, proud and graceful. Mercury-blue eyes flashed a microsecond my way before moving onto their next target.

I was so entranced by his beauty that I almost didn't hear his next words .

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" he said while walking down the staircase. "_Famous_ Harry Potter, can't even go into a _bookshop_ without making the front page. "

It was then I noticed that the Harry Potter boy and a group of red-haired Hogwarts students, along with a bushy-haired girl were about to leave the shop when the boy intercepted them .

"Leave him alone," a small girl with bright red hair and a soot smudged face glared at the sun-boy.

The sun-boy's face lit up in laughter. "Oh look Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend! "

Suddenly a snake-headed cane hit the sun-boy on the shoulder, pushing him aside. A rather annoyed look passed over the boy's face, and with a roll of his eyes he moved over.

"Now, now, Draco. Play nicely." An older man with the same white-blonde hair entered the bookshop. I nearly gasped at the cold iciness that pulsated from this man. It was so much different from the harsh but warm sensation I had gotten from the sun-boy, Draco.

The icy-cold of the man's voice brought me back to the situations in front of me. "Mr. Potter. Lucius Malfoy, we meet at last." He held out his hand. As soon as Harry took it, Lucius pulled him forward, using his cane to move the hair on Harry's forehead aside. Lucius Malfoy spoke again .

"Forgive me. Your scar is legend. As, of course, is the wizard who gave it to you." He smiled slightly.

Harry glared back. "Voldemort killed my parents. He was nothing more than a murderer. "

I had gaped in silent shock. _Harry's parents were killed too? Oh, I hope I'm in the same house as he is! I'd love to talk to him…find out how he's dealt with it… _

"You must be very brave to mention his name," Lucius drawled. "Or very foolish. "

The bushy-haired girl piped up. "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. "

Lucius looked calculatingly at her. "And you must be Miss Granger?" Draco nodded his affirmation. "Yes, Draco has told me all about you. And your parents. Muggles, aren't they?" He then turned to the red-haired group. "Let me see. Red hair, vacant expressions…tatty second-hand book. You must be the Weasleys."

An older red-haired wizard came into view. "Children, it's mad in here. Let's get outside. "

"Well, well, well. Weasley Senior. "

"Lucius." The older Weasley said shortly .

"Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur, all those extra raids? I do hope they're paying you overtime…but judging by the state of this," Lucius gestured to the small Weasley girl's book, "I'd say not." Suddenly, his demeanour turned colder, if that was possible. "What's the use of being a _disgrace_ to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Arthur Weasley narrowed his eyes at the other man. "We have a _very_ different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy. "

"Clearly." He tutted. "Associating with muggles. And I thought your family could sink no lower." Mr. Weasley's eyes widened slightly. "I'll see you at work," Malfoy senior said, walking away .

Draco approached Harry. "See you at school." Mercury-blue eyes flashed my way again, then they were gone.

I realised then that I had been holding my breath. Letting it out in a _whoosh_, I saw Harry and his friends leave, while I went to pay for my books and find my mother.

* * *

For the rest of the summer, I spent my time going over all of my schoolbooks, asking my mother questions and laying on my bed thinking about the encounter I had witnessed at Flourish and Blotts.

I mulled over the statement the Granger girl made, finding it very true and also appropriate. Although I didn't know much about Voldemort's reign, I had made enough deductions to guess that people in the wizarding world were really quite scared he might be alive somewhere, waiting to return, even if they couldn't admit it .

I also thought about the saying, "Giving evil a name only gives it power." I thought that this was also true, but since this evil already had a name, to speak it only shows no fear .

Then my thoughts would turn to Harry Potter and the sun-boy, Draco Malfoy. I asked my mother about their families, if she knew anything. She told me that yes; Harry Potter's parents were killed by Voldemort, shortly after my father was. She had no idea what really happened to the boy, only that Voldemort tried to kill Harry when he was only a year old, but couldn't. That was how he got the scar on his forehead, she said. But that was all she knew of him, other than the fact that his parents were just wonderful people, and it was a shame that they had been killed .

She then told me all she knew of the Malfoy's, obviously becoming very upset as she went on .

"They're a very powerful family, Raven. Never underestimate a Malfoy. Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater. Actually, I think he still is a follower of Voldemort. He may even have…k-killed your father." After a deep breath, she continued. "Mum and Dad had managed to tell me that the Malfoys had claimed to be under the Imperious Curse, a curse that lets the caster control the victim. I think its rubbish. Apparently, Malfoy has been donating money to parts of the Ministry of Magic, as well as Hogwarts School. I think he has everyone under his thumb, trying to cover up what he's done." She sighed, then excused herself to make some tea, sniffling and rubbing at her eyes .

Mumbling a thanks, I retreated to my room. Flopping down on the bed, I thought over the information I had gathered. From the encounter I witnessed; I could definitely tell that Lucius Malfoy was a very dangerous and hateful man. His son, on the other hand, Draco, well for some reason he didn't seem so bad. Sure his upbringing left much to be desired, seeing as how he obviously thought much like his father. But the strange feeling I had gotten about him when he glanced my way held back any fear of him.

And Harry…well it was obvious that he had suffered, but seemed to have a good group of supporters, Miss Granger and the Weasleys .

Both boys stood out in like night and day in my mind, with their demeanours standing roughly against their outward appearances. It seemed like the brighter form of Draco harboured darkness inside, while the dark form of Harry harboured light .

I pondered if I would be housed with either of them, hoping more to be with Harry, to talk to him about our parents…I needed someone to relate to, terribly .

But Draco intrigued me greatly, and I wished to see what he was really like.

I wondered what this new school had in store for me, and if I'd be able to handle it.

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Thanks for reading! Please review! 


	3. Handsome Prats and Sorting Hats

_10.30.04: Like I said before...reposting with little fixes...mainly at the end..._

Summary: This is a girl's quest to find out just why she was placed in a house with people she hates. A witch, raised as a muggle, finds out about her family history. Unexpectedly, she is inducted into Slytherin House, and is doing everything in her power to find out why.

_Chapter Notes: **Ok, these notes are going to be a little long, so please bear with me, they **_**are_ important._**_ Last chapter, it was pointed out that the scene from Flourish and Blotts was directly from the second movie. I had a reason for this. I felt that it would be better for me to observe the scene and write about what I saw and heard, rather than what I read. I didn't want to use J.K. Rowling's words. Also, I really like the intensity of the scene in the movie, although it is a bit different. I thought about putting Arthur attacking Lucius but eventually decided against it._

_I also feel like this chapter is a little boring...but it sets up some important things for later on. It will be a little slow for a bit...until I get the ball rolling...like I said, just setting stuff up. Hopefully, I don't bore you to death, and you keep reading, I'm half finished with chapter three..._

_And...well, I wasn't going to disclose this, but I feel like I should be honest. This story is kinda Mary-Sueish. If you don't like that, then I'm sorry. The initial spark for this story was "What if someone was put in a house that they _really_ didn't want to be in, and had to find a way to cope?" Of course, my first thought was put Harry in Slytherin or Draco in Gryffindor, but it's kind of a been there, done that thing, and I really wanted to be more original. I thought it would be interesting to have a person caught between the two worlds and also interesting to see how people outside of Gryffindor live and deal with what goes on in the cannon. _(Speaking of cannon, I'm going to try to stay as close to the books as possible...I really don't want to re-write many important goings-on...they're fine the way they are. I'll let you know if there's a change.)_ My character won't be involved in the cannon adventures so much, she may know about them, and have some hidden insight, which you will see later, but she'll have a few adventures and conflicts of her own. I mean...what does Draco and his gang do when their lot's not being seen...I'm really looking forward to adding my own insight to the other side of the coin.** This is a story about a girl looking from the inside out as well as the outside in. This is Raven's story, not how involved can she get with the cannon characters. **Not that she won't get a little involved...we'll just have to see, now won't we?_

_So, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to tell me. I'll try to accommodate as best I can._

A/N: Please review, I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant  
it.)

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**Handsome Prats and Sorting Hats**

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Finally, September 1st had come. I had checked my trunk for the fifteenth time that morning, finally satisfied that everything was in order, then went to the bathroom to check on my appearance.

Mum had told me to wear muggle clothes for the trip to Kings Cross, and then I could change into my Hogwarts robes on the train. Wanting to look my best, but stay comfortable at the same time, I chose my best dark blue jeans with a dark green tank top to bring out the colour in my eyes. I topped it with my smart-looking zip-up leather jacket. The necklace Mum gave me on my birthday lay in the hollow of my throat, a simple but charming silver pentacle on black cord. I've always loved star shapes, and this one fit me perfectly. Beautiful in its simplicity.

Looking at myself in the mirror, it was quite obvious how nervous I was. While my hair tumbled down in perfect black curls, my eyes were wide and so clear that they almost looked blue-grey. My face was pale, my tan waning as I spent most of my time reading my schoolbooks. Even though I spent some time outdoors, usually it was in the shade of a tree.

Dabbing some pink lip-gloss on, I decidedly put my hair up in a high pony, and left the bathroom for my room down the hall. I looked around one last time at the only home I've known all my life. Most everything I had I was leaving behind, minus some favourite posters, jewellery, pictures, and my alarm clock. Sighing heavily, I grabbed my trunk and headed towards the door.

"Raven!"

"Coming, Mum!"

As I struggled down the hall towards the entryway, my mother stood near the door, all dressed up, ready to take us to Kings Cross.

When I reached her, she smiled warmly, tears welling in her eyes. "Oh, my sweet Raven. Look at you, all grown up."

"Ma, I'm only eleven years old." Exasperated, I set my trunk down, and moved to put my black Converse tennies on.

"Yes, but you're so much more mature and grown up than most of the muggle kids wandering around. Now, let's go. We have only a few hours to make the train," she said, ushering me out the door to our small car.

The ride to Kings Cross was uneventful to say the least. I tried to listen to some music, knowing it would be the last time for a while, seeing as muggle electronic devices didn't work in Hogwarts. Other than my mother, the thing I miss the most when I'm at school is my music. My soul seems to live around music, and I still feel lost without it sometimes. Doing my homework in silence is outrageously boring.

For a few days, I had kept thinking about what house I would be placed into. "Mum," I asked, "what house do you think I'll get into?"

My mum smiled. "Oh, I can't be sure dear. You know, both your father and I were in Ravenclaw. Maybe you will be too. But no one's a better judge of that than the Sorting Hat."

"Yes," I said, "I've read a little about the hat."

Mother only smiled wider. "See? That's my clever little girl. Already studying her heart out. Do you know about the different qualities of the houses?"

"Yes. Gryffindors are known for their courage and chivalry, Hufflepuffs for their loyalty and hard work, Ravenclaws for their cleverness and wit, and Slytherins for their cunning and ambition."

"Very good."

"But Mum, how does the hat really sort that all out? I mean, don't people generally have many of those qualities inside them? How does the hat pick just one?"

"It probably picks the one that is most prominent, and searches your personality to see who you would fit in best with. Although I'm sure you'll get this speech when you arrive at school, your house will be like your family away from home. You'll have to stick together and trust each other or life could get quite uncomfortable. Not that friends don't have their fights or inter-house relationships don't exist, just that since you'll be living with the other people in your house like a small dormitory, you'll have to be compatible to get along well."

I nodded. "I see, but I still could end up in any house. We don't really know yet, huh?"

"No, we don't. But I wouldn't worry about it, honey. You'll go into whatever house you are meant to be in." She patted me on the leg in reassurance, ending the conversation.

Finally, we arrived at Kings Cross. I loaded my trunk onto a trolley and we headed off to find platform 9 ¾.

"Somewhere...around here..." my mother muttered under her breath. "Ah! Here it is! Now Raven, all you have to do is walk straight through this barrier, right here," she pointed to the brick barrier between platforms nine and ten.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, yes, you heard me, straight through dear. I'll be right behind you."

"Ah...um, ok," and I positioned myself in front of the barrier.

"Run a bit, if you have to!"

_Run? At a solid brick wall? Had Mum gone mad?_ "Ok, here goes nothing," and I ran at the barrier and straight through the other side, to stand next to a bright red steam engine labelled _Hogwarts Express_.

"Whoa..." I stared in awe at the gleaming train, watching all the parents and their children bustle about.

"Hurry Raven, the train will be leaving soon," Mum said, coming up behind me.

"Ak! Mum, you scared me!"

We moved over to the doors of the last carriage; it seems all the rest of them were rather full.

"Here you go, dear. Now write home soon, I'd like to know what house my clever little daughter gets into!"

"Mum!" But I smiled and gave her a lasting hug and a glossy kiss on the cheek. "Bye, Mum, I love you!" I stepped up onto the train.

"I love you too, darling! Keep in touch!"

"I will!" I hauled my trunk onto the carriage waving to my mother as I went. She blew kisses at me, wiping away tears as she did so.

On the carriage, I found an empty compartment near the back and settled myself down. Excitement built in my chest as the train's horn blew and we started moving. Shortly after the train started, there was a small knock on the door and it slid open to reveal the Granger girl and the Weasley girl.

"Excuse me," the Granger girl said, "would you mind if we sit with you? All of the other compartments are full." She looked really apologetic.

"Er...yes, of course I don't mind! Please, sit down," and I gestured to the bench seat opposite of mine. The girls murmured their thanks and moved inside.

"I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Ginny Weasley. It's a pleasure to meet you." Hermione reached over and shook my hand, followed by Ginny.

"My name's Raven Harrell, it's a pleasure to meet you as well." I smiled genuinely at the girls. "So, what years are you in?"

Ginny answered. "This is my first year, Hermione's second. How about you?"

"It's my first year, as well."

Hermione blinked. "Really? You look so much...older. No offence."

I only smiled at her. "None taken. I am quite well aware of my physical attributes. Honestly, I would give nearly anything not to have them." I pulled my legs up to my chest and gazed out the window. "So Hermione, which house are you in?"

I'm in Gryffindor, along with my friend Harry and Ginny's older brothers Ron, Fred, George, and Percy."

"Wow...are you the only girl, Ginny?"

"Yes. The youngest too. I'd trade almost anything to be older than at least one of my six brothers."

"My goodness, _six_ brothers?"

"Yeah, Bill's the oldest, he does curse breaking for Gringotts, and Charlie works with dragons in Romania," she gleamed with pride.

Suddenly, the compartment door slid open. All three of us girls whipped our heads around, to see none other than the Sun-boy standing in the threshold, his hands on the frame. Two massive boys stood behind him. I saw Hermione and Ginny give Draco a hard look.

"Oh, great, its Granger and the Weasel. Or should I say _Weaselette?_" Draco sneered. "Where are Potter and the other Weasel? They stay home this year? Too afraid to come back?" The boys behind him snickered.

"In your dreams, Malfoy," Hermione bit back.

"Oh, but Granger, you'll find that my dreams _always_ come true," he said mischievously, eyes flashing. Then I watched those same eyes move onto me. "And who have we here?" He looked at me for the first time that day, scanning my body with those mercury-blue eyes.

For some reason, I didn't feel awkward by this, or even intimidated. In fact, I was checking him out as well. He had his hair worn in the same stylish way, and he was already wearing his school robes, minus the cloak. A green and silver tie lay perfectly at his slim and pale throat. He radiated stature and power.

"You don't need to know, Malfoy," Hermione replied. "Now go find your own compartment."

But Draco moved inside. "No, Granger, I don't think I will. I like this one," and he sat down next to me, catching my eye. I held his gaze.

"Crabbe, Goyle, why don't you sit down?" Draco's eyes never wavered from mine.

As one of the lumbering oafs sat on the other side of Draco, the other plopped down next to Ginny. I heard a small squeak from Ginny as she scrambled out of the way to sit pressed up against Hermione. Draco of course, had to move as well, but closer to me. Telling by the look on his face, he hadn't minded a bit.

I remember feeling lost in his eyes. Like he was trying to pull me in, suck me into oblivion. I couldn't tell if he was trying to cast a spell on me or not. He just kept staring at me so intently. The colour of his eyes was so cold, icy-blue grey and unforgiving like the waters of the arctic. I could see farther than that, but only a little. Past all the coldness to something deeper that I can't explain with words. His close presence had a strange affect on me. Only this thought had come upon me: _He's beautiful, but deadly._

"What's your name?" he asked in a commanding tone.

Although I vaguely remembered my mother's warning about the Malfoys, I felt my mouth move of it's own accord.

"Raven Harrell."

"What house are you in?" It seemed like he was a drill sergeant, interrogating me. Our eyes never moved.

Again my lips fluttered. "I'm not in one yet. This is my first year."

"Really?" He said with mild curiosity. "You look older." His eyes raked me once more. I started to hear static in my ears.

"I'm not," I said in a whisper. There were other people there...I had felt them, but they seemed lost to me. All there was was Draco's eyes.

"Obviously," he sneered.

Hermione's agitated voice cut through the buzz in my head. "What house do you _want_ to be in, Raven?"

I remember blinking and slowly turning my head towards Hermione. "I...er...I don't really know, actually." I tried to mentally shake my head clear again. "Both of my parents were in Ravenclaw, so I suppose I will be as well."

Draco scoffed. I had almost forgotten he was there after Hermione's interruption. "What? Did you parents name you after their house? How pathetic."

I turned back to him, hoping that clear disdain showed in my eyes. "No, actually. My mother liked the myth of the raven. Do you know what that is?"

"No, and nor do I care."

"Well then, why don't you just leave, Malfoy?" Hermione said.

"I don't think so, Granger. I find great joy in bothering _you_. It's the only thing that gets me through this horrid train ride."

Trying to change the subject, I asked the Sun-boy, "What house are you in, Draco?" Although I think I already knew the answer.

"Slytherin. The only house worth being in." he made a pointed glare at Hermione. She just scowled back. Then he turned to look questioningly at me. "And just how did you know my name? I dare to hope your Ravenclaw parents told you out of fear," he nearly spat.

I decided not to tell him anything more about my family. "You can think that, if you wish." I gave him a smirk I hope looked slightly cunning and more confident than I felt. He only glared back.

Then he stood up, with Crabbe and Goyle automatically moving to do the same. Draco moved directly in front of me, blocking my view of anyone else in the compartment. Bracing himself on either side of my head with his hands, he leaned in so that he was only a few inches from my face.

"You'd do good not to piss me off, Raven." He whispered fiercely soft to me. His breath smelled like mint. "Remember that, because I'm sure we'll be seeing each other. A lot." A strange knowing look passed through his eyes, but I had dismissed it quickly.

"Only in your dreams, Draco," I whispered back, smirking.

He smirked back. "You're right, only in my dreams. And we all know what happens to my dreams, don't we?"

"Yes, I believe we do."

"Good." He pushed away and left, commanding Crabbe and Goyle to follow.

Hermione immediately went and closed the door behind them. Ginny let out a whoosh of air. I felt the air lighten on my shoulders, and although I was playfully bantering with Draco just before he left, what he had said had affected me more than I apparently let on.

"That conceited, ugly, annoying, _prat._" Hermione seethed, obviously pissed off at this latest encounter.

"That's where I disagree with you, Hermione." I said. She looked at me in mild shock. "I think that he's quite handsome...for a conceited, annoying, prat." I smiled warmly at her.

She caught my stab at easing the tension and smiled back. "Yes, I suppose he might be when he's not sneering at you. And that's something I've never seen, although that fact should be obvious."

"Well," I said, "I certainly don't want to be in Slytherin, now do I?" We all giggled for a bit. I turned to Ginny. "What house would you like to be in?"

"She shrugged. "I suppose I'll be in Gryffindor with all the other Weasleys. Even my parents were both Gryffindors."

"Yes, it seems quite obvious, doesn't it? I've read all about how they sort you into houses. Quite interesting, actually."

"Where did you read that? Even I didn't know about that before being sorted, and I'm sure I read every book on Hogwarts." Hermione said, puzzled.

"Oh, I'm not sure what book it was in. I think it was in one about one of the founders...probably Godric Gryffindor. I know I've asked Mum about it as well, so maybe that's where I'm remembering it from." Hermione nodded. "But to think that I'll have a part of each of the founders of Hogwarts rooting around in my head, trying to sort out which house I should be in. Amazing really."

"Yes, it's a very interesting experience," Hermione said. "Nerve-racking, hoping you'll get put into the proper house, hoping that you'll get along with your house-mates. A thoughtful look passed over her face. "I almost didn't." she nearly whispered, a small smile playing on her lips.

There was a knock on the door, and it slid open to reveal a plump older lady with a trolley full of sweets. "Anything off the trolley, dears?" she asked in a kind voice.

We got what we wanted, and I bought a few more for Ginny...I remembered how self-conscious the Weasleys seemed about their financial state, and how Lucius Malfoy shoved it in their faces. Ginny blushed at my insistence. Some of the candies were absolutely amazing, but I especially loved the Pumpkin Pasties and the Chocolate Frogs.

For the rest of the trip, we chatted and ate, the earlier meeting long forgotten. Finally, we changed into our school robes as the time grew near.

I found that I really liked Hermione; we had quite a lot in common. We both had a deep passion for books; although I could sense that she believed almost anything she read out of a textbook, and didn't bother with fiction stories like I did.

I liked Ginny as well, although she seemed a bit shy. Seeing as we were both first years, we shared similar fears and anticipations. Hermione told us not to worry, that we would both be fine as long as we studied hard. I was happy to have made such good friends already and really hoped to be put in Gryffindor house.

It was pitch black outside, and as the train slowed into Hogsmeade Station, excitement grew in me, swelling in my chest and making me breathless. When we stepped off the train, Hermione bid Ginny and I good-bye and good luck and told us that she'd see us in the Great Hall. A call of "Firs' years, Firs' years over here!" lead Ginny and I to a large man, far taller and wider than anyone I had ever seen, with a large brown beard and a trench coat that looked as if it was made of some type of animal skin. We followed him to a dock of small boats with no oars, which we entered and rode enchanted across the lake to Hogwarts.

The school itself was a mass of darker black against pitch, dotted with warm coloured lights. I could almost see the outline of the castle as it blocked out the tiny dots of sparkle in the night sky.

Our boats finally docked under the castle and we followed the large man to the fortress doors, where he knocked his large hand against the wood, and waited. Right away, the doors opened, and an older witch with black hair tied in a tight bun, and wearing robes of emerald green greeted us. Her name was Professor McGonagall.

We then followed Professor McGonagall into the entryway of the castle and past two large doors and into a small chamber. She then proceeded to tell us almost the same thing Mum had told me in the car, about the houses being like families, and that house points were to be awarded or lost based on our behaviour.

"Please form a single file line while I set up the sorting." Then she left through a different door than we had entered.

Soon after our line was formed, Professor McGonagall came back and ushered us into the Great Hall. I remember thinking what a beautiful room it was, with a bright warm glow from the floating candles and an enchanted ceiling that looked just like the star-studded sky outside. Four long tables were nearly filled with students from the four different houses. I scanned the crowd and found Hermione, who looked to be keeping her attention up front, but I saw her stealing worried glances at the two empty places next to her.

I turned and looked at he head table, looking at all of the professors that I would have the opportunity to get to know extremely well over the next seven years. I saw Lockhart sitting up there, looking as ridiculous as ever, and prayed that he wouldn't be teaching any classes I had. My eyes rested on Professor Dumbledore for moment, taking in his wizened appearance before my attention was again on Professor McGonagall and a stool in front of me which had an old, worn hat on it: The Sorting Hat.

The tear near the brim on the hat opened up and a song issued from it.

_Every year I wait,_

_Sitting still and long,_

_For a new year to begin,_

_So I can sing my song._

_The line becomes divided._

_While another crosses still._

_The time for trust grows nye,_

_Though it is only through your will._

_So put this old bonnet on_

_Good lasses and good lads,_

_To see which house do you belong,_

_To which house becomes so glad._

_Good and trusty Gryffindor,_

_Which often gets the fame._

_Or loyal, fair Hufflepuff,_

_Who never gets the blame._

_Ravenclaw is clever_

_Most witty and most wise._

_While Slytherin stays cunning_

_Ambitions most surmised._

_So again I'll sit and ponder_

_In which house you ought to be,_

_While the lines grow far and closer _

_Although no one will quite see._

Applause burst out in the Great Hall, and then Professor McGonagall started reading off names from a long piece of parchment. My attention weaved in and out as the names were called.

"Creevey, Colin..."

The small mousy-haired boy sat for a moment, and then: "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Harmon, Ashley..."

A blonde boy stepped up to the stool.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Finally, "Harrell, Raven..." was called and my attention snapped to the stool. Chancing a glance at Ginny standing in line next to me, I stepped up to the seat, took the hat, and sat down. Placing it on my head, I heard a little voice in my ear.

"Well...I haven't come across a mind like this in ages. So many qualities...but where to put you?" A wild thought passed through my head. What if it couldn't choose? What if I was forced to go home? Then the hat spoke again. "Don't worry little one, I'll figure you out...Loyalty coupled with strength and daring...good match for either Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. I see a mind already filled with studies...Ravenclaw may do. But look at your ambition! And cunning! So hard to choose..."

My mind was in utter bewilderment. What was this old hat babbling about? Me, daring? Ambitious? Cunning? I think not. I was a bookworm, a shy, quiet, bookworm...

The hat was speaking to me again. It felt like I had been sitting on the stool for hours. "Oh, I see your doubts, little one. I see your thoughts...but I also see how far this jumbled and vast mind can take you...so it will have to be..."

Oh my gosh, here it was...finally...

"SLYTHERIN!"

_What?!_

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BTW...I know the train scene is kind of like Harry's experience in the books...and just let me say that it was completely _un_-intentional. Kind of realized it later...lol :P

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	4. The Chase Begins

_10.30.04: Again...the same story...see the biginning of chapter one if you have no idea what I'm talking about..._

Summary: This is a girl's quest to find out just why she was placed in a house with people she hates. A witch, raised as a muggle, finds out about her family history. Unexpectedly, she is inducted into Slytherin House, and is doing everything in her power to find out why.

Chapter Notes: _I think the only thing I have to say about this chapter is that it was fun to write. I hope my witticism doesn't run out on me...I really enjoyed writing a lot of the dialogue in this chapter. The only other note I have is that I am using the school uniforms from the movie. I really like that idea...and it's how I've always seen them. I've always had a hard time imagining the robes as little more than something to cover up your shirt and pants or skirt. It probably comes from watching the first movie before ever reading the books...I swear I was in la-la land when all the books were being published...hadn't even heard of Harry Potter until the fourth book came out. But then again, I do live in Bum-Fuck Nowhere, Alaska..._

_That's not really the name of the town I live in, honest..._; )

_So, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to tell me. I'll try to accommodate as best I can._

A/N: **This will be my last update for a few weeks, but I am still writing. I am in the process of moving to Seattle, and I leave on Sept. 28th, so it may be a while before I'll have access to the Internet.** Please review, I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant it.)

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**The Chase Begins**

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It felt like several minutes, but it was probably only a few seconds. It's strange how time seems to slow to an abysmal crawl when your brain shuts down for a short period of time.

I remember that first year, sitting in shock on that stool, the Sorting Hat still on my head. I'm not sure how I looked on the outside, but inside I was a garbled mess of thoughts and feelings. _What? Slytherin? My hearing must be off...my mother's going to be so shocked...I hope it doesn't kill her...I'll never be friends with Hermione or Ginny now...probably never meet Harry...I'll have to spend all my time with Draco...hmmm, Draco...stupid prat...I could never...oh, I _must_ be evil...how could this happen...I mean, _Slytherin?!

Vaguely, I could hear the Slytherin table erupt into cheering and clapping for their new inductee. My eyes shifted to Ginny, whose mouth hung slightly open, her eyes wide. She was clearly as shocked as me. Quickly, I found Hermione's stunned face. _Oh, this was _so_ not happening. _I finally heard Professor McGonagall's voice in my ear.

"Come dear, your house table is this way..." She removed the hat from my head, ushered me off of the stool, and gave me a little push in the right direction. Granted, through all of this, my mind was rather muddled from shock, but I somehow managed to make it to the Slytherin table without falling on my face or bursting out crying and sat down next to a second year. I was the second Slytherin inductee so far. I felt a pat on my back and dazedly, I turned to the boy next to me, drowning out the rest of the sorting.

I met with bright blue eyes and a dazzling smile. Suddenly, time caught up with me, dizzying me for a moment. The boy whispered, "My name's Blaise. Blaise Zabini. Welcome to Slytherin." The candles floating above our heads glinted off his short, black, spiky hair. I felt a small smile tug at the corners of my mouth. Blaise was quite good-looking...but in a completely different way than Harry or Draco. Maybe like 'the-boy-next-door'?

"You're name's Raven?" he asked.

I nodded. "Uh, yeah." I was still trying to shake off my daze. _Think, girl, think! You're a Slytherin now. No! I'm not...oh crap...I suppose I'll see if I can speak with Professor Dumbledore as soon as possible..._

"That's cool."

"Huh?" _That was brilliant, girl. Amaze him with your articulate conversation skills._

"Your name. It's pretty." Blaise smiled at me then turned his attention back up front to the sorting.

I could feel my face heat up at the boy's comment. As I turned my own attention back up front, I caught sight of two silvery-blue irises; Draco Malfoy was staring at me. He sat opposite from Blaise, but was flanked by those two massive boys from the train, Crabbe and Goyle. I still didn't know which was which.

Again I felt lost within the cold pool, drowning as if in a frozen creek. Distantly, I heard the sorting come to a close and Professor Dumbledore began to speak. Clapping broke out, and a wild array of food appeared in front of us. The contact was suddenly broken, and I felt a mixture of breathing relief and choking loss at the change.

Mentally shaking myself, I thought, _I _hate_ this strange feeling Draco gives me. Remind myself never to look into his eyes again. Great. I missed what Professor Dumbledore said._

Looking around the busy table, trying to avoid the gross display from the oaf across from me, I noticed the rest of the first year Slytherins around me. There were four boys. I realized then that I was the only girl. _That's odd._

As I loaded my plate with chicken and mashed potatoes, I whispered to Blaise, "I, uh, missed what Professor Dumbledore said..."

His short laugh rang musically in my ears for a moment. "What, so charmed by my compliment you couldn't hear anything else?" A knowing, amused smirk broke out on his face.

Feeling my face heat again, I ducked my head in embarrassment. "I, uh...yeah. Something like that." I chanced a quick glance at Draco, who, at the current moment was focusing on his plate. _Although it wasn't _you_ that charmed me, Blaise..._

Blaise chuckled at my embarrassment. "The old coot was just saying his usual, 'don't go into the Dark Forest, Filch has a list of restricted and forbidden items on his door,'-watch out for his cat, Mrs. Norris, by the way. And Peeves the Poltergeist too-" A cool voice cut in.

"Blaise, who don't you introduce the rest of us to your new _friend?_" Annoyed at the interruption, my gaze shifted and locked on Draco, who was only gazing nonchalantly back. Even though I forgot my reminder to myself to not look into his eyes, I only felt a cool sensation pass though me.

"Sorry, Dray," Blaise apologised. "Raven, this is-"

This time, I cut him off. "Draco Malfoy. We've met." I hoped my voice sounded cool.

"Oh?" Blaise had a cute furrow of confusion on his brow. "Well then, why'd you ask-" But Draco cut him off again. It seemed Blaise would never get a word in edge wise.

"I told you we'd be seeing a lot of each other." A winning smile graced Draco's lips. "You know, I hear the raven is known as a trickster. You think you'll be up for the challenge? You _are_ in _Slytherin_, after all." He looked pointedly at me.

Although Draco's guess at the myth my mother chose for my namesake was correct to some native tribes in America, it wasn't the right one. I smiled sweetly back. "While I'm not _quite_ the trickster type, you're on, Draco. But are _you_ up for the challenge?" I hated being pushed around, even though I knew challenging Draco had to be absolutely crazy. I only hoped he picked up on his wrong assumption.

"Always." He smiled wickedly, giving me a slight nod, signalling that he got my message. "I'll have you know that I'm the trickiest one of the lot. And I can already tell that this is going to be a wonderful year." Smirking, he took a swig from his pumpkin juice.

"Not if I can help it," I muttered, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Draco nearly choke on his drink. I felt his heated glare on my face. Feeling slightly nervous with the tension, I turned to Blaise to stop Draco from retorting. "So, Blaise, what other advice do you have for us first years?" I could feel the stares of the boys next to me shift back to Blaise.

He faltered for a second, still getting over his confusion. "Well...most of the professors are all right, I suppose. McGonagall is pretty strict-"

"More like has a broomstick up her arse," A boy sitting on the other side of Blaise said. He smiled at me. "Theodore Nott; pleased to meet you."

I nodded. "You too."

"_Right,_" Blaise huffed. "She's strict, and she'll be your transfiguration teacher. Flitwick is the pushover charms professor, Binns is boring as all hell...you can really catch up on sleep in his class, he won't notice. Professor Snape is our potions professor as well as our head of house, so he's a little biased. But even so, don't get on his bad side. It's not pretty."

"Yeah," Theodore said. "She doesn't want to end up like Potter and the rest of the Gryffindor brats."

I felt a little confused by Theodore's statement, but pushed it to the back of my mind and focused on the conversation at hand. The rest of the feast had continued on pretty much the same. I blatantly ignored Draco, while focusing all of my attention on Blaise, and Theodore when he made the occasional comment. I could feel Draco's eyes on me as I laughed at a joke Blaise had made. The inherent iciness his father owned started to affect me from across the table. I could tell that Blaise felt that there was something wrong with his friend, but I tried to ease his tension by being friendly and noncommittal. In retrospect, I was surprised at my boldness...where had that shy bookworm gone? I still think that I only act that way around Draco...there's just something about him that makes my personality take a 180 turn.

Although I'm sure I looked composed and in control on the outside, inside I was a tangled mass of feelings. My mind still couldn't grasp that it was real, that I really was in Slytherin. I think Blaise's friendliness helped with that. Maybe not _all_ Slytherins where irritating pains in the arse. But the friendships I had started to form with Hermione and Ginny now seemed impossible.

The fact that Draco had assumed on the train about which house I would be sorted into aggravated me to no end. I mean, _how_ did he know? It pissed me off even more that he had been right! Bloody git.

Soon the feast was over, and Professor Dumbledore gave his parting speech. We all rose to head to the dorms, the prefects calling to us first years to follow them.

As I left the Great Hall, I felt an arm encircle my waist, and a cool hand slip over my mouth. Alarm immediately rang through my body as whoever grabbed me pulled me away from the small group of first years moving downstairs from the entrance hall. I already had a rough idea of who it could be, thinking back on supper. I was right.

We slipped into an empty classroom on the first floor, and I was released. Whipping around, I just caught Draco closing and spell-locking the door. As he turned to me I spat, "What do you want, Draco?"

His icy glare stayed steady on me. "You apparently don't listen very well, Raven."

"What does that mean?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"He moved closer. "I told you not to piss me off. You _don't_ want to get on my bad side either, Raven. I'm only going to warn you so much."

"I am well aware of what I was doing, Draco. And why are you warning me? You hardly seem the type to warn his prey of the chase."

"The chase?" His eyes narrowed.

"Yes, the chase. Because you'll never catch me, Draco. You don't own me, and I can do as I please. Even if that means fraternizing with Blaise."

Moving so fast I couldn't even see him, Draco grabbed me and slammed me against the wall. I felt a sore grow on the back of my head where it hit the rough hewn stone.

"You just watch yourself, Raven. People like you don't belong in Slytherin," he snarled.

"People like me?" I said accusingly.

"Yes. Muggle-lovers. So watch yourself. I can't guarantee something won't happen to you." I was going to retort, but he was gone in a rush of cool air.

"Why the bloody hell do you care?" I yelled to the empty room. "Bloody prat," I muttered, straightening my robes. "It's not like I want to be in your stupid house...oh goddess, why me? Bleeding hell." I walked out of the classroom, heading back to the Great Hall. It was here that I realised that I had no idea where my dormitory was. _Great! Thanks a lot, Draco!_

I headed down the stairs where I had seen the rest of my class go. Soon I found myself wandering around the castle dungeons. Each passage looked like the next. There were no obvious features to signify the entrance to the Slytherin dorms. Not that I knew the password anyway.

_Blast it all to hell! As soon as I find that prat Draco Malfoy, I'm going to shove his wand so far up his arse he'll be doing his practicals with his pants down!_ What can I say; I had a few violent tendencies every now and then. In fact, I still do.

In any case, I was cold and tired. It must have been near eleven at night, and I still hadn't found my dorms. Leaning against a wall in a long, dark, and damp corridor, I slid down to sit on the floor. Hugging my knees to my chest, I wrapped my cloak around me and hoped that someone would find me before morning. At some point my anger faded away to be replaced by anguish. Tears started to well in my eyes. _Dammit! My life now officially sucks!_ "Who cares if I'm a bloody muggle-lover?" I yelled, hearing it echo throughout they many miled maze of passages beneath the school and lake.

"I, certainly, do not care how you feel about muggles," a low authoritarian voice sneered.

I jumped and scrambled to my feet, suddenly very aware that I was standing before a teacher. Before I could reply, he spoke again.

"Seeing as you are obviously a first year, Miss..."

"Harrell, sir. Raven Harrell."

"Miss Harrell. You may not be fully aware of our rules here at Hogwarts. But I can assure you that yelling in dark corridors in the middle of the night is certainly not permissible. And neither is being out of your dormitory after curfew." The small amount of light in the corridor had only shown me the man's pale complexion, a severe face surrounded by a sea of black. It looked like his face was just floating there. It was quite unnerving.

"Yes sir," I stammered. "But sir, I'm lost."

"Which house do you belong to?"

"Slytherin, sir."

"Oh, from my own house, I see." This must be Professor Snape, I thought. "And how did you happen to become separated from the rest of the first years?"

"Er...I...I was a-approached by a second year, sir, directly after the feast."

"Really? And who was this second year? Do you know their name?"

"Ah...yes, sir. It was Draco Malfoy, Professor."

His eyes narrowed. "May I inquire as to the topic of the conversation?"

"He...he told me to watch my back...to not piss him off, because I was what he called a 'muggle-lover.' He said people like me don't belong in Slytherin." I had been looking at the ground, near where his feet would have been, so I chanced a look up at the potions professor.

Professor Snape's face seemed impassive, but I could see a strange battle in his coal-black eyes. Finally, he spoke.

"Well," he said curtly, "Mr. Malfoy _was_ correct, to a degree. But I'm sure you'll find that not all of those in Slytherin think like him. I will take you to the dormitory, and we will have a short _talk_ with Mr. Malfoy. I do not tolerate this kind of behaviour from my house." With that, he moved past me and walked swiftly down the hall, his robes billowing out behind him. I quickly followed, hurrying to catch up with his long strides.

A few turns and long, haunting passages later, we finally came to a smooth, damp wall.

"The current password is _Vipera aspis._" At the last word, a hidden door in the stone slid open. Professor Snape quickly walked through, and I followed, hearing the door slide closed behind me. "You will not give the password to anybody, nor will you show anyone the entrance. Understood?"

"Yes sir." We moved a few steps down into the Slytherin common room, a long underground room swathed in green and black. There was a large hearth near the entrance, which had many huge, cushy sofas and chairs in front of it. A few older students were still talking quietly. There were a few bookshelves in the far left hand corner and a large dark wood table next to them. Hidden in the opposite corner was a black grand piano, sitting on a raised area, gleaming green from the lamps hanging overhead. Halfway down the opposite wall from the entrance, were two heavy wooden doors, one labelled 'Girls' and one labelled 'Boys.' It was this one which we entered.

It opened to a long, dark corridor, like all other corridors in the dungeons. Only a magical torch of green light next to every door lighted it. There were seven doors, alternating sides of the corridor, and one door at the very end of the hall labelled 'Washroom.' Professor Snape approached the second door and rapped his knuckles twice, hard. There was some muffled grumbling and the door opened to a sleepy-eyed Blaise, hair sticking up every which way, and clad only in a black tee shirt and light blue boxers. His frame was just starting to turn into a man's, from that of an awkward boy.

I remember feeling the flutter of my heart and the heat in my cheeks. And I remember thinking how cute Blaise had looked at that moment. He blinked sleepily. "Yes, Professor?" Then he noticed me. His eyes shot completely open and he moved so that only his head was visible from behind the door.

Professor Snape sneered. "When you are quite through being unnecessarily embarrassed, Mr. Zabini, would you please send Mr. Malfoy to the door?" It was not a request.

"Er...yes sir." Blaise's head disappeared into the darkness of the room. Some more muttering was heard and within a minute or two, the door opened more fully to a perfectly groomed Draco, who was wearing a set of black satin pyjamas with a matching robe. I found it odd that he was barefoot. The floor had to be freezing.

He glanced quickly at me, then to Professor Snape. "Yes, Professor? Is there a problem?"

"Why yes, Mr. Malfoy, there is. It seems as though someone badgered this first year," he gestured to me, "left her near the entrance hall, then expected her to find her way to the dormitories by herself. Miss Harrell has identified you, Mr. Malfoy, as the one who did this, and I must say that I am disappointed in your childish behaviour. I expect better from my own house. This type of behaviour won't happen again. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes, sir." Draco glared at me.

"This is your only warning in this matter, Mr. Malfoy. Miss Harrell, I'll ask that you do not provoke these boys again." _Provoke? I didn't provoke anybody,_ I thought. "Certain measures will be taken if you two cannot get along."

"Yes sir."

"Yes Professor."

"Good. Miss Harrell, you will find your room down the next hall. Mr. Malfoy, you may return to bed. Goodnight."

"Goodnight sir."

"Goodnight Professor." Professor Snape then left us, exiting the common room for his own chambers. Draco turned to me.

"Well, you're just a little tattle-tale, aren't you?" he glared accusingly.

"He asked questions, I answered them. What, would you rather I lie to a teacher? To our own head-of-house?"

"Yes! That's what Slytherins do!"

"Well, I am _not_ a Slytherin!"

"You are now, so act like it! I will not have you ruining our house reputation!"

"Well _excuse me_, Mr. High-and-Mighty-Slytherin! Maybe I should just go lock myself up in my room for the next seven years! Because there is _no way_ I will ever act like _you_!" Draco and I were now nose to nose.

"Yes, I think that is a wonderful idea. We'll have the house elves send you your meals through a little slot in the door!" _The what?_

Blaise appeared behind Draco. "Just leave her alone, Draco." Draco spun around to face Blaise.

"What, come to defend your girlfriend, Zabini?"

"She's not my-"

"I don't care, get out of my way. I'm going back to bed." Draco shoved Blaise aside and disappeared into the room, nearly slamming the door behind him. Blaise moved out more into the hall with me.

"I'll talk to him before breakfast, don't worry."

I smiled weakly. "Thank you, Blaise. But I have a feeling that this isn't over, yet." He sighed.

"You're probably right." A small furrow appeared on his brow. "But honestly, Draco's behaviour was odd."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for one thing, he never loses his cool like that. Yelling has never been his thing. He's always deadly cunning and completely in control. Seeing him like that was...strange." A door opened down the hall and a sleepy but irritated face poked out.

"Can you two shut up, people are trying to sleep here." Blaise looked apologetic.

"Sorry Flint." The door closed without a reply. Blaise turned back to me. "Here, I'll take you to your room." He led me back down the hall and out into the common room. He then turned left to the girl's dormitory, opening the door and stepping inside to a corridor that was identical to the boy's corridor. "Here's your door," he whispered, gesturing to the first door on the right. "The door at the end of the hall is the-the bath, so you can, uh, bathe and stuff. "Even in the faint green light, I could see a small blush spread over the bridge of his nose.

I giggled. "Blaise, why is it you're so nice and everyone else in Slytherin is so foul?"

Blaise shot me a perplexed look, and then he smiled mischievously. "Oh, I'm foul, just not towards my fellow Slytherins...or pretty girls."

I felt my cheeks heat up for the millionth time that day, and I looked to the floor. I was afraid that my cheeks would be permanently stained red, with all the blushing I was doing. "Er...ah, thanks."

Blaise cleared his throat. "Well, I'd better go get some more sleep. I'll, uh...see you at breakfast." He moved towards the door leading to the common room.

"Yeah, Thanks again, Blaise."

He smiled. "Goodnight, Raven."

"Goodnight." Then he was gone. Turning around, I opened the door to my room labelled 'First Years' and stepped inside. Immediately, a magical torch next to the door lit, as well as a small hearth on the right wall, flooding the room with warm light. Right in front of the door was the bed, a double four-poster with dark green sheets and velvet hangings; everything was trimmed in silver. Overhead, I noticed the same green lamps from the common room hanging from the ceiling, unlit.

The room was moderately sized, a little bigger than the one I had at home. There was a small bedside table on the left and a small desk and a chair in the right hand corner. My trunk lay open at the end of the bed. There was a green and silver scarf hanging over the lid, and a note stating that my robes would be magically altered to reflect my house colours tomorrow morning in the common room, seven a.m. sharp.

I quickly located my pyjamas and changed into them, hopping into bed and snuggling down to rid myself of the slight chill in the room. The torch near the door went out as soon as I got into bed. The fire was slowly ebbing away the cold, and despite, or maybe because of that, I fell into a deep slumber, only waking when the green lamps turned on brightly, bringing me home from my dreamless sleep.

* * *

**Raven:** Thank you for your kind review! I look forward to hearing from you in the future! Hugs!

Thanks everyone for reading! Please review!


	5. Letters to the Parents

Summary: This is a girl's quest to find out just why she was placed in a house with people she hates. A witch, raised as a muggle, finds out about her family history. Unexpectedly, she is inducted into Slytherin House, and is doing everything in her power to find out why.

Chapter Notes: _I didn't want to do this until later, but the story just kept writing it's self. I'm talking about the skewing into 3rd person information. Obviously, this is stuff that Raven has no clue about...it's like added information from an outside source. Keep this in mind for the beginning of the next chapter...that's when it _really_ starts._

_So, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to tell me. I'll try to accommodate as best I can. (I really like ideas...;)_

A/N: Please review, I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant it.)

* * *

**Letters to the Parents**

* * *

I'm not a morning person, so waking up at six a.m. is not an easy task for me. But considering that I wanted to take a shower before getting ready for the day, and I also had to get my robes altered before breakfast, I was kind of glad that the green lamps and the loud buzzer woke me up so early. And thank goodness that it turned off on it's own. I asked Blaise during breakfast if the alarm always went off that early, and he said no, that it only did that the first day, and that tonight there would be instructions of how to change the time or turn it off.

The robe altering was fairly easy; Professor Snape came to the common room and asked us to bring all of our ties and sweaters to have the colours changed and a Slytherin patch added to our robes. It only took a few minutes, considering there were only five of us. As soon and my ties and the trim on my sweater were a shimmering green and silver, and the Slytherin patch added to the breast of my robes, I headed out to the Great Hall for breakfast, following the other students. As I went, I memorized the path hoping that I wouldn't get lost again.

Other than my chat with Blaise, breakfast had been relatively uneventful. Draco sat towards the other end of the table, for which I was grateful. But then a few noteworthy things did happen. Number One: Harry Potter finally entered the Great Hall.

My breath caught in my throat as my eyes followed Harry's path to the Gryffindor table. He looked just as cute as I remembered him, although much cleaner. It looked like Ron Weasley was with him as they sat down next to Hermione. Instantly, whispers started up all over the Hall. It seemed that Harry and Ron had missed the train and arrived at Hogwarts by means of a flying car. I was kind of shocked and amazed. A _flying_ car? Wow. I'd love to hear that story. I hid a smile that was dancing over my face.

"That prat, Potter, always showing off. Thinks he's better than everyone."

Stunned, I turned to Blaise sitting next to me. The malicious tone in his voice sounded so unnatural to my ears. He even had a nasty snarl on his face. My voice felt caught in my throat.

"What?" Blaise turned to me.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of Harry Potter?"

"Ah, no, I have, but I don't see why you feel that way about him. I know Draco doesn't like him, but did he do something to you?"

"No, it's just because he's _Potter_, Raven." He gave me a questioning look. "Just don't go near him. He's just a bunch of trouble, and a show off to boot. Thinks everyone will love him just because he "saved the school" last year. Bloody Boy-Who-Lived..." The last part was mumbled.

"A trouble maker? But isn't that a Slytherin's forte?" I asked with a smirk on my face, although inside I was quite puzzled.

"Well, sure. But we're cunning about it. And cruel. Potter just goes looking for trouble and butts in where he's not wanted."

I was silent. I felt so confused by what Blaise was telling me. It was definitely not how I pictured Harry Potter to be. But by the sound of things, it seemed that Blaise didn't really know Harry all that well. And Harry's friends were lovely. How could he really be all that bad, being in Gryffindor? But then again, here I was in Slytherin. And how could I truly be a Slytherin? I know I was going to fight _that_ particular battle for all it was worth. Especially see how Draco and Blaise acted. But last night...maybe it's all just a façade? I sighed. _This sucks. How am I ever going to get along with these seemingly horrible people?_ My thoughts were halted, though, by the arrival of the mail. And with that, another topic of Harry-related gossip.

Number two of noteworthy things: The infamous Weasley Howler rang throughout the Hall. Ron's face had turned a bright red and I felt a little sorry for him. How embarrassing! And poor Harry looked absolutely horrible, like it had been all his fault. As soon as a deafening silence fell over the Great Hall, laughter broke out at my table. Snickers soon started at other tables and when the babble of talk filled the room again, I tried to hide my laughter behind my hand. I mean, the look on Ron's face _was_ kind of funny.

Professor Snape then came around and started handing out our course schedules. That year I had Potions and History of Magic with the Gryffindors, Herbology and Charms with the Hufflepuffs, and Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaws. Astronomy was held for Slytherins on Thursday nights.

As soon as breakfast ended, I ran down the stairs to the dungeons to gather that day's books and supplies. As excited as I was I didn't pay any attention to my surroundings, so I was completely knocked off my feet on my way out of the common room by one of Draco's goons. The bloody oaf was standing right in the doorway!

"Watch were you're going," he grunted, moving forward past me. Draco then came into view.

"Now, now, Crabbe, say you're sorry to the poor, weak first-year. She doesn't know yet how to stay out of other people's way." He smiled a sickening sweet smile, and I did indeed feel weak. They all walked past me, with Goyle kicking my ankle hard as he lumbered over me.

_Well, at least I know which one is Crabbe and which one is Goyle,_ I thought. _Although the resemblance to each other is amazing._ I stood, dusting off my robes and gathering my bag._ Bloody bastards, didn't even offer to help me up. And Crabbe never did say he was sorry!_ I double-checked my inkbottles to make sure they didn't break. Pushing the wall open, I headed down the hall towards my first class.

I had Potions first, and I arrived early enough to catch a word with Ginny when she walked in with a few other Gryffindors. "Ginny! Can I have a word?" I darted a look around the classroom, glad to see that the Slytherin boys hadn't shown up yet.

Ginny shot me an annoyed look as she sat down. "Green really does suit you, Raven." She set to organising her papers and supplies.

"Ginny, please don't be mad at me. This is just as much a shock to me as it is to you..."

"Don't be mad? You're a Slytherin, Raven! How do you think that makes me feel? It's like you lied to me. Like I don't really know who you are. I'm sorry, but I just don't think being friends is going to work out."

Her words stung unbearably though my heart. "Ginny, please, I wasn't lying. Do you really think I _want_ to be in Slytherin? I can't stand it, and it hasn't even been a day! You and Hermione are the only friends I have." I looked pleadingly at her. I know I was playing a sympathy card, but what else did I have? I could feel the other Gryffindor's eyes on us, but I didn't care. I just wanted Ginny's friendship.

But Ginny just shook her head. "Even so, Raven, you still got put in Slytherin for _some_ reason. And Gryffindors and Slytherins don't mix. I...I just don't think it's possible. I'm sorry. I really am." Ginny looked down into her textbook, closing the conversation.

I whispered, "So am I, Ginny. So am I." And I walked back to my seat, nearly in tears. I tried to suck my feelings in, as the rest of the class arrived. _It's not fair! Am I not even allowed to have friends? I didn't want this, any of it!_ I felt utter despair rise up in me, and it took all of my will not to burst out crying. I realised then that I was now stuck in what would probably be the worst seven years of my life.

* * *

I actually enjoyed my first Potions lesson, even if my mind was generally elsewhere. Professor Snape seemed like a hard teacher, but I was looking forward to the challenge. I could see that he was using maliciousness to his advantage, but at that particular moment, it didn't affect me. I did notice that his cold eyes kept wandering over to me during the practical part of our lesson, but I just averted my eyes and did my work perfectly, but dully. I tried to focus on the hope that Hermione would understand as Ginny seemed not to. But I did understand Ginny's reasons. I didn't think then, and I still don't think now, that it has very much to do with her opinion of my character. She's just as confused as I am as to why I'm in Slytherin. It's just safer to keep her distance. She's right; Gryffindors and Slytherins don't mix. I would be made an outcast, and the Slytherins would target Ginny. And neither of us wants that.

* * *

_Dear Mum,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I am...doing alright. This school is beautiful, and I think I will enjoy the lessons._

_Unfortunately, I do have some disturbing news. Although I don't quite understand why, I was...I was placed in Slytherin, Mum! And I don't know what to do!_

_I'm beyond shocked, as I'm sure you are as well. What does this mean? I have quite the impression that the Slytherins are not well liked Mum...is this true?_

_In all honesty, I wanted to be put in Gryffindor. I met two nice girls who are friends of Harry Potter on the train, one of which is a second-year, and the other's a first-year like me. Maybe you've heard of her family? The Weasleys? All of Ginny's family has been in Gryffindor, along with Harry and the other girl, Hermione Granger. Her parents are muggles._

_And I met Draco Malfoy, Mum. He's...I don't know. I mean, he's obviously a beautiful but hateful person, but I get this strange feeling when I'm around him. He's really quite mean, Mum. But I sense something else about him that I don't understand. He's like...hot and cold, all at the same time. Does that make sense?_

_Actually, he was pretty mean to me my first night here. He cornered me after the opening feast, and then left me to find my way to our common room by myself. Professor Snape, our head of house and Potions teacher, found me and pretty much told Draco off, but that made Draco even more mad. We had a little yelling match in the boy's hallway around one in the morning._

_But I hear that that's kind of odd behaviour for him. He's usually just like his father; cold and cunning. A boy named Blaise Zabini told me all of this. He's the only one who's been nice to me since I've been inducted into Slytherin. I talked to Ginny yesterday, but she refused my friendship._

_Oh, Mum...I'm so confused. If everyone in Slytherin is so foul, how can I be a part of it? I'm hoping you can offer me some guidance beyond your natural motherly worry._

_And I do hope you won't worry too much. I'm doing fine, considering. Classes are kind of hard, but nothing I can't handle. And Blaise is really nice, for the most part. Everyone pretty much leaves me alone, even Draco. Even though it seems that most of their parents are just like Draco's father, from what snatches of conversation I've heard, none of them seem to know that Lord Voldemort had father killed. And I don't intend on telling them, if I can avoid it. Is that a smart thing to do?_

_I'm going to talk to Professor Dumbledore as soon as I can, Mum. Maybe he'll have some advice._

_I love you, Mum. I hope I haven't worried you too much, even though I am at a loss as to what to do or think myself. I hope to hear from you soon!_

_Love and Huggles! XOXOX_

_Raven_

* * *

The rest of the week went by slowly. I wrote to Mum, but it wouldn't be until Saturday that I'd get a response. I won Slytherin house points nearly every day in class. My heart fluttered every time I saw Harry, and Draco generally stayed away from me, except for a few 'get out of my way's and muttered 'muggle-lover's in my direction. I just ignored him. Homework was pretty easy so far, and I found myself nearly bored into tears every evening, looking for something to do.

Friday evening, however, something sort of interesting did happen. I was sitting the common room doodling on a spare bit of parchment, when Draco made a loud and grand entrance into the common room.

"Finally! Potter will get what he deserves!" I heard him boast. At hearing Harry's name, my attention snapped over. Draco was standing at the bottom of the stairs with Crabbe and Goyle, holding a set of green robes and padded bracers. Someone yelled from across the room, "What you got there, Malfoy?" The sun-boy turned and grinned.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker. Just got my robes. And father's already sent the team new Nimbus 2001s." _On such short notice? Hmph. He probably bought his way in. Probably isn't any good._ Draco then turned to me.

"You know Quidditch, Raven?" I could tell he was trying to make a fool out of me. I think he was starting to think and put two and two together. _Not if I can help it._ I had read up on Quidditch a bit before school started, so I knew a little.

I smiled sweetly. "Of course I do...Dray." I tried to annoy him by using a nickname. Draco brushed it off and walked over and sat down on the sofa next to me.

"Do you know how to fly?"

I shrugged. "A little. I've only had one lesson, and Mum didn't let me on a broom." He quirked an eyebrow, but still he moved a little closer.

"Would you like to learn?" I didn't like the suggestive tone in his voice. He was supposed to hate me, right? Maybe it was all a ploy to hurt me or embarrass me.

"Maybe some other time, Draco. I still have a bit of homework to finish up." I moved to stand.

He smiled. "Maybe next weekend?" I could tell he wasn't buying it, but wasn't going to press. _Thank Morgan._

I nodded. "We'll see." I walked back to my room.

_What in the seven levels of Hell was _that_ all about?_ Something was definitely up with Malfoy, I just didn't know what.

Before heading to bed, I finished writing a letter to Hermione that I had been working on all week. How could I say what I needed to say without sounding pathetic? Sighing, I finished the letter and went to bed, setting the alarm early so I could go to the owlery before breakfast.

* * *

_Dear Father,_

_First, I would like to thank you for your support in my becoming Slytherin's new Seeker. This is sure to help along the downfall of Harry Potter. As such, the team deeply appreciates your gratitude._

_However, this letter pertains to another matter. There is someone I am hoping you can look into when time allows. Her name is Raven Harrell, and she's a Slytherin first-year. I want to know everything about her and her family. There's something odd about her that I don't like, and no one seems to know much about her. When your information arrives, I will let you know what I plan to do with it. _

_Tell Mum I said 'hi' and I hope to see you both at my first Quidditch match during the first weekend of November._

_Sincerely Yours_

_Your Son,_

_Draco_

* * *

**PhsycoChick991:** Thank you for your review! And the idea! I'll definitely be keeping that in mind...of course, I can't tell you what I'm planning, but you're definitely thinking in the right direction...

Thanks everyone for reading! Please review!


	6. Swimming With a Dragon: We All Have Our ...

You know...I keep forgetting to add that disclaimer thing...so here it is: I don't own Harry Potter, only Raven and her family and background. And this story. Yeah.

Summary: This is a girl's quest to find out just why she was placed in a house with people she hates. A witch, raised as a muggle, finds out about her family history. Unexpectedly, she is inducted into Slytherin House, and is doing everything in her power to find out why.

Chapter Notes: _I didn't want to do this until later, but the story just kept writing it's self. I'm talking about the skewing into 3rd person information. Obviously, this is stuff that Raven has no clue about...it's like added information from an outside source. Oh, and I realized that I need to start adding chapter titles..._

_So, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to tell me. I'll try to accommodate as best I can. (I really like ideas...;)_

A/N: Please review, I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant it.)

* * *

**Swimming With a Dragon: We All Have Our Secrets**

* * *

During lunch the next day, after the episode with Ron and the slugs, an old school owl landed on Hermione's shoulder. She gave a little yelp, nearly dropping a forkful of shepherd's pie all over herself. Setting her fork down, she took the letter from the owl's leg, giving it a bit of meat before it flew off. 

"Whotcha got there, Hermione?" Seamus asked. Ron and Harry looked over dully, still depressed over their impending detentions with Filch and Lockhart.

Hermione read over the contents carefully. "It's from Raven..." A frown appeared on her face.

Harry perked up a little. "Who's Raven?" Ron also looked a little interested.

Hermione finally looked up. "She's...she's someone Ginny and I met on the train."

"Oh?" Harry said. "Why's she writing to you?"

Hermione bit her bottom lip, looking nervous. "Well, see...she's a really sweet girl...this is her first year...and she's...worried. Worried about what I think about her."

"Why's that?" Ron asked, shoving a forkful in his mouth.

"Well...she..." Hermione lowered her voice to a whisper. "She was put in _Slytherin._" Harry gave a little jump and Ron nearly choked on his food, both of them turning around to look at Slytherin table.

"Which one is she?" Harry asked, and Hermione politely pointed out a depressed looking raven-haired girl with green eyes sitting at one end of the half-empty table.

"She's kinda pretty," Seamus said, looking over as well. Harry felt his cheeks heat up a little.

"She's a Slytherin." Ron said flatly, as if that explained everything.

Hermione frowned. "Yes, but you don't know her, Ron. She's really very nice."

"Well, she must have been put in Slytherin for a reason, Hermione!"

"Yes, and I'm going to help her find out why. She really seems to hate it there, Ron, if her letter is anything to go by."

"She could be lying to you, tricking you," Ron suppressed a sluggish burp, destroying his intended effect.

"I don't think so, Ron. What reason would she need to? Both of her parents were in Ravenclaw, and she obviously didn't get along with Malfoy on the train. You didn't see her face when she was sorted, Ron...she looked positively horrified. I'm going to write back to her, reassuring her that she can come to me if she needs to." Hermione lowered her voice. "Because it seems that your sister, Ginny, has shunned her friendship already."

"And probably for good reason," Ron muttered.

Harry finally spoke up. "Ron does have a point, Hermione. Even if she _is_ alright, trying to become friends with her could turn out bad. We don't know what the other Slytherins will do to her."

"Well I'm not just going to shun her, Harry!"

"I know, I know. Just...try to keep it quiet, or-or something. Be careful. It's not like you can watch out for her in the Slytherin dungeons, you know."

Hermione sighed. "I know. That's what worries me."

* * *

My Saturday went by rather slowly. All of my homework was done; the letter I wrote to Hermione sent off; now all I had to do was wait for a reply. And I hate waiting. I hadn't even heard back from Mum yet. 

After lunch, Blaise managed to con me into a game of Exploding Snap, but even that got tedious. So I excused myself and headed outside to get some fresh air.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was out, and there was a subtle breeze in the air. I took a walk around the lake, finally stopping at a sandy shore on the east side. I took off my shoes, socks, and robe, and as soon as I sat down, a beautiful snowy owl landed in front of me in a flutter of wings. It was Hermione's reply. Nervousness rose up in me as I detached the letter from the bird. Giving it a soft pat on the head, I sent the owl off. Glancing around, I opened the letter.

_Dear Raven,_

_I am sorry to hear about your first week at Hogwarts. And I'm sorry that Ginny has denied a friendship with you. I believe you are right as to why. I will try to talk with her._

_I am writing this letter to assure you that you can still find friendship in me. Unfortunately, you are right about this as well. Even under the pretences of studying, being seen together could be disastrous. Nothing I'm sure I can't handle, but I fear for you, being all alone in Slytherin with no one to help you._

_I am pleased to hear that Blaise Zabini has been courteous to you, at least a little. Hopefully, it will stay that way._

_My advice to you is this: try to act as normal as possible. I don't mean starting acting horribly mean and like the typical Slytherin, but don't fight it either. The other Slytherins will only become more suspicious of you than Malfoy may already be. He's a hard one to fool. Just try not to be walked upon; they'll take full advantage of that. I know you're clever enough, Raven. And if it ever becomes too much, you know where to find me._

_Which brings me to my next subject. My friend and Ginny's brother, Ron, isn't convinced of your innocence, but I will try to change his mind. Harry has warned me to be careful, especially in our correspondence, which I am, I can assure you. I feel regret to know that I cannot be there when you need someone to talk to, or when you need a hug. But I will do my best on parchment._

_And I vow to help you in any way I can to find out why you were placed in Slytherin. Your character seems an unlikely candidate, but perhaps the reason will show its self in due time._

_I know that I am only a year older than you, but I do hope my advice is helpful. Please don't hesitate to write if you feel the need._

_Your Friend in Gryffindor,_

_Hermione Granger_

Tears welled up in my eyes as I finished Hermione's letter. _Thank the Goddess I still had a friend._ Folding up the letter and hiding it in my robes, I sat there, digging my toes in the cool sand and letting the tears fall down my cheeks. I noticed that the sun was just starting to set.

"Are you crying, Harrell?" a snide voice said. Startled, I stood quickly and wiped the tears from my face. Turning around I said,

"And if I am, Malfoy, what business is it of yours?"

He shrugged. "It's just unbecoming for a Slytherin to cry. Especially in public." He looked around. "Luckily for you, we're the only ones out here."

"Yes, lucky, aren't we." I said sarcastically.

Draco looked hard at me, putting his hands in his pockets. "What are you doing out here, Raven?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"I asked first."

"Well, if you're going to play it that way...I was just taking a break from the dungeons and Exploding Snap. You?"

He raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me. "Same reason, mainly. Too loud down there." He paused. "Why were you crying?" he asked forcefully. I frowned.

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"I make it my business to know what goes on in Slytherin House."

"Well this matter is none of your concern, Draco." I said bitterly.

"Everything is my concern, Raven." He stepped closer to me, and I stepped back.

"Not this." His eyes were starting to affect me again. And he kept advancing on me. Suddenly, my bare feed hit the cooling water of the lake behind me, and I stopped. We both looked down, and Draco backed up a step. A mischievous grin played across my face.

"Afraid of the water, Malfoy?" I challenged him.

"What? Of course not, Harrell. I just don't want to get my shoes wet."

I stepped back a few more feet, up to my calves in the water. "Then take them off." _Holy Morgan, am I actually _flirting_ with Malfoy? Oh, bloody hell, why not? This might actually be fun..._Draco frowned at me.

"You're mad if you think that I'm going to get into that mucky water with _you._"

"Then I must be mad." I stepped back another foot or two, the water rising just above my knees. My pleated black skirt was about two inches from getting wet. I trailed my fingers in the water. Draco still stood there on the shore. "You're gonna have to come in the water to even have a _chance_ of learning anything, Draco."

"Or maybe I can just make you stay in the water until you freeze to death."

I shrugged. "Maybe." But he remained where he was. "What, can't you swim?" I taunted.

The sun-boy glared at me. "Of _course_ I can swim." Draco undid the clasp of his robes, folding them and setting them down on the grass near the beach. Then he bent down and took off his socks and shoes, placing them next to his robes. He took his tie off as well. Then he stepped into the water.

I stayed stunned where I was, as he slowly waded out to me. Some part of me didn't think he'd actually do it; thought that his vainness would out-weigh his thirst to overcome a challenge. I guess I was wrong. The air suddenly felt colder; the sun was setting fast. The oranges and purples of the sky reflected off the surface of the water and Draco's fine blonde hair. He finally reached me.

"Now Raven, I believe you owe me something."

I snapped back. "No, Draco, I don't _owe_ you anything. I said you had a _chance._"

He grabbed my upper arms. "Tell me now, Raven, or I'll-" but he never got to finish his sentence. When he grabbed me, I stepped back and lost my footing. I fell back into the water and Draco followed.

Sputtering, we both came up out of the water, drenched as rats. Draco snarled at me, pushing blonde locks out of his eyes. "Raven, you-"

"I didn't mean to! I lost my footing-"

"Yeah, whatever."

We both stood there a minute, wiping water off our faces. I noticed then just how dark Draco's eyelashes were. They were a spiky black against the pale ivory of his skin. _Gods, he's really beautiful...too beautiful. It's unreal. _But Draco interrupted my thoughts by speaking again.

"Er, Raven..." he hesitated.

"What?" I snapped.

"Your...your blouse." He vaguely gestured to my chest, looking the other way.

"Wha-" I looked down. My white blouse was plastered to my body, and my bra was quite visible. I suddenly noticed just how cold I was. Shivering, I turned and headed back to shore. "We'd better get back inside before we catch cold."

"Yeah," I heard behind me.

Once back on shore, we quickly gathered our things. Just before we headed inside, Draco stopped, and I turned around. "Malfoy?" He was looking up at the stars. Night had finally come.

"Isn't it beautiful?" he whispered.

I looked up at the sky. "What is, exactly?" I asked.

He looked back down at me for a moment before answering. "Nothing."

Looking at him I said, "Well, I'm going to go take a quick shower before catching the last of dinner."

Draco shook his head, moving past me towards the castle. "Don't bother. Take your shower, and when you're finished, dinner should be waiting for you in your room."

I shot a confused look at his back. "Uh...ok." Then I followed him into the castle.

* * *

Sure enough, when I had gotten out of my shower, dinner was waiting for me on the low table by the fire. It was still steaming. I changed into my pyjamas and settled down in the cushy chair next to the table, where I promptly dug into my food. 

The meal was splendid, almost the best I had ever tasted. It was a pot roast with carrots and potatoes. The roast was very tender, and the flavour was just right. Everything seemed to be seasoned just the way I like it. Desert consisted of a sweet treacle tart, which I adored. I washed it all down with a pint of pumpkin juice. Feeling quite content, I got into bed and took out a book I borrowed from the library, _Edible Plants: Magical or Otherwise and Where to Find Them._ But a frantic knocking at the door interrupted me.

"Raven?" Blaise's voice seeped through the door. "Raven, are you in there?" I quickly got up and padded to the door, opening it.

"Blaise, what's wrong?"

"There's an owl for you, but it won't let us near it." He sounded slightly breathless.

I stepped out into the hallway, walking past Blaise. "You guys should know better than I do that the owls only deliver to the rightful owner of the mail."

"I know, but I think it got very confused when you weren't at dinner, and since it didn't seem to know where to find you, it followed us here. Where were you by the way?"

But my answer was cut short as the owl in question was suddenly in my face, landing on my shoulder, digging its claws in.

"Ow! Ok, ok, I'm here!" I took the letter from the owl and then showed it out the common room door.

"Who's it from?" Blaise asked.

I looked up at him and around the room. There were quite a few people sitting around, a couple looking at me. Draco, Theodore, and a girl named Pansy that I really didn't know were sitting by the fire. They were all staring at me, waiting for my answer. And here I was, standing among them in my pyjamas! I suddenly felt very naked. Looking back down at the letter, I realised that my response from Mum had finally come.

"Mum," I whispered, and then dashed off to my room. I heard Draco's voice call after me.

"Don't go keeping more secrets, Raven!"

"What's that mean, Draco?" I heard Blaise ask just before I closed my door, locking it. Tearing open the letter, I read:

_My Dear, Sweet Raven,_

You were right; your news did come as a bit of a shock. And that is why it has taken so long for my reply; even with the travelling time it takes from Scotland to England and back.

_You are pretty much right when you say that Slytherins are not well liked. There has been a long-standing rivalry between the rest of the houses and Slytherin, especially with the Gryffindors. And I don't hate you for being put in Slytherin. How could I? You're my only child, my daughter. But I will also speak with Headmaster Dumbledore as soon as I can get away. That Sorting Hat must be getting old if it put my little girl in Slytherin._

_But perhaps the Hat saw something in you that no one else sees. I am sure that not all Slytherins are horrible people, as you mention with Blaise Zabini. Probably misguided, I think, growing up living with parents who were most likely Death Eaters. And truthfully, some part of me thinks of what happened to your father, and who was probably responsible for it; and I yearn to get you out of there as soon as possible. I am hoping for the best in this situation, because even now as I think about it, there is probably no way for you to be moved to another house. I'm sorry to say that, honey._

_And yes, I know the Weasleys. Lovely family. Your father and I went to school with Arthur and Molly, although they were a few years older. I saw them at the bookshop that day we went to Diagon Alley...My; their family has gotten quite a bit larger since I last saw them._

_And I am sorry to hear that Ginny has refused your friendship. Although I am sure she is just as confused as you are. She probably wasn't expecting her newfound friend to be in Slytherin. She will come around, in time._

_I can only hope you are being careful, Raven. I agree that you should not tell anyone about our family, if you can help it. Be vague if you have to talk. There is no telling what those other Slytherin kids will do to you if they know too much, especially with Draco Malfoy in their midst. I would like to hurt that boy, treating you the way he did. I may just have to write to his father. But we will see how things pan out these next couple of weeks. We cannot assume anything. Lucius Malfoy's son can be a powerful friend or a deadly enemy, if he's anything like Lucius. Please be extremely careful around him. I'm afraid your proud nature and your run-away temper can get the best of you sometimes._

_I do hope things work out with Hermione and Ginny, but do tread carefully. I'm sure you realise that as nice as it would be to have friends outside of Slytherin, it could be dangerous, depending on who it is. Especially since they're in Gryffindor, and friends of Harry Potter. I have a feeling that Draco does probably not like him, am I correct?_

_And as to your strange feelings around Draco...keep watching him. See if there is anything that triggers it. And examine the feeling as best you can. It will come to you, eventually._

_I know this letter sounds less loving than intended, but I am cautious, considering the reasons for raising you the way I did. But I do love you Raven, and I will try to help you through this as best I can. You're a strong girl; and I know you'll be fine._

_I will always love you, no matter what you do, or what house you are in._

_Love and Hugs from England,_

_Mum_

_XOXOX_

Tears were pouring down my cheeks for the second time that day by the time I was finished. I was happy to hear that Mum didn't hate me. And I was glad to find that she agreed with me on many points, and gave me much the same advice that Hermione did. And Hermione knew the current situation at Hogwarts better than Mum did.

A knock on the door interrupted my relieved sobbing. "Raven, are you alright?" It was Blaise again. I knew I had to hide the letter before Blaise came in. I rushed to my desk, trying to get the drawer open. There was a jostling at the door.

"Raven? Raven, I know you're in there!" The doorknob rattled.

"I'm coming!" But my voice sounded troubled, panicked.

"Raven, I'm coming in!" I finally got the drawer open. A muffled '_Alohomora'_ came through the door. I shoved the letter in the drawer and closed it just as Blaise walked in.

"Raven!" I whirled around as he walked up to me, pausing as he studied my face. "Have you been crying?" And I couldn't help it, I burst into fresh tears. I cried that I was still loved, I cried that Hermione would be my friend, I cried that Blaise seemed to care about me, I cried that I couldn't tell him what was going on, I cried because I could never be myself. Not here. Not ever. Blaise's arms were around me immediately.

"Raven, what's wrong? Was it something in the letter?" I shook my head.

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry Blaise, but I just can't."

"Shh...it's ok. I understand." I looked up at him, my tears slowing.

"You do?" He smiled softly, handing me his handkerchief.

"We all have our secrets, Raven." I snorted, wiping my eyes.

"Even from Malfoy?"

"Yes, even from Malfoy." I looked at him for a long moment.

"I don't understand you, Blaise. I don't understand any of you. Sometimes you seem so cold and malicious, but other times...you seem almost normal."

Blaise laughed. "Normal? What's 'normal' for you, Raven? Because this is normal for us. If you haven't noticed, our way of thinking is in the minority here. We have to stick together, outside the common room as well as inside of it. We're really not as bad as the rest of the school thinks we are." He smirked. "Not all the time, anyway. Honestly...it's _you_ that seems abnormal." He lowered his voice. "People are starting to talk."

I know I looked wary. "Talk? About me?"

"Yeah. You see, most of our families have known each other for centuries. But no one seems to have heard of your family. Not that it means a whole lot, with all of the muggle families having wizard children; it gets hard to keep tack of them all. Not that I'm saying you're a Mudblood, but Draco doesn't like it. He wrote to his father last night." I tried not to panic. _There couldn't be anything Lucius could tell Draco, right?_

"He did, huh?" I tried to sound nonchalant. I'm not sure I pulled it off.

"Yeah. And everyone knows how powerful and influential Draco's father is. He can find out almost anything." _Well, there went that line of thinking._ "It's hard to keep secrets in Slytherin, even in Hogwarts, especially with Draco around. But we do. He's really good at keeping them himself, though. But only when he won't gain anything by telling. He's quite ruthless. Probably the worst of all of us, his father being who he is. Not that any of us would admit it, of course." _Hmm...well, I'll just have to be a better secret-keeper. Even better than Draco._

"How do you know he's keeping secrets, if he's so good at it?" I asked.

"Because...he's keeping a secret for me." He looked at the floor.

"I see."

"I hope you have nothing to hide," he said, looking up.

I shook my head. "Not that I know of," I lied, barely suppressing a yawn.

Blaise smiled. "You must be really tired. I'll let you sleep." He walked to the door as I got back into bed. "Hey, Raven?" He turned back to face me.

"Yeah?"

"Would you...like to hang out with me tomorrow?"

I smiled. "Sure." He smiled back.

"See you tomorrow, then. Goodnight."

"'Night." Then Blaise closed the door and I fell straight to sleep, the book I had been reading forgotten on the bed next to me.

* * *

Post-note: I actually wanted to have that scene between Draco and Raven later...like a few _years_ later. But it just seemed to fit there. Does anybody think I should move it? 

Thanks everyone for reading! Please review!


	7. It's Like Looking in a Mirror

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only Raven and her family and background. And this story. Yeah.

Summary: This is a girl's quest to find out just why she was placed in a house with people she hates. A witch, raised as a muggle, finds out about her family history. Unexpectedly, she is inducted into Slytherin House, and is doing everything in her power to find out why.

Chapter Notes: _I don't think I have anything to say about this chapter...I hope you like it!_

_So, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to tell me. I'll try to accommodate as best I can. (I really like ideas...;)_

A/N: Please review, I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant it.)

* * *

**It's Like Looking in a Mirror**

* * *

In the second-year Slytherin boy's dormitory the next morning, there were a few different sounds being made. The semi-loud snores of Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, and the flurry of motion made by Blaise Zabini, who was frantically trying to find his favourite shirt.

"Dammit, where is it?" he said as he slammed another drawer shut, waking Theodore Nott and Draco Malfoy.

"Keep it down, Blaise." Theodore said.

"Yeah," came Draco's sleepy drawl. "This is the only day I get to sleep in."

"Sorry Theo, sorry Dray." Blaise apologised.

"What are you looking for anyway?" Draco asked, stretching.

Blaise sighed. "My favourite shirt."

"Why?" Blaise shot him a pointed look in the dim light. Draco quickly caught on.

"Oh...trying to look good for your chosen-"

"Shh!"

"Ok, ok. I know, world's best secret-keeper." Draco yawned. "Well, good luck mate. She's feisty." Blaise frowned.

"Who is?" Theo asked sleepily.

"No one." Draco said forcefully. "Now go back to sleep." And Theo did as ordered, promptly forgetting the conversation.

Blaise shook his head. "Some secret-keeper _you_ are."

"Hey, I'm just teasing. But I'm still not sure why it needs to be a secret anyway. It's not like people won't find out eventually. And your shirt's on your chair by the way."

Blaise turned around. "Oh, thanks."

"You put it there last night."

"You never miss a beat, do you Dray?" Blaise asked, buttoning up the shirt.

"I can't. You know that. Now get out of here before Theo wakes up again and starts asking more questions. Being a secret-keeper this early in the morning is exhausting."

"Ok, ok. I'm gone." He went to the door then turned back to face Draco. "I just want it to be on my terms, you know?" Draco nodded, and Blaise left. Draco rolled over and fell back asleep.

* * *

Because I forgot to reset my alarm, I got up rather early Sunday morning. I wasn't quite sure what Blaise and I would be doing that day, so I opted to wear jeans and a nice shirt under my robes.

I left the common room before most people were even thinking of getting out of bed, and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. I was the only one there, so there wasn't any food on the tables yet. As soon as I sat down, however, an array of breakfast foods and pumpkin juice appeared around me. I started eating, keeping an eye on the door for Blaise.

I was almost finished with my second scone when he walked in, his eyes immediately zoning in on me. He smiled. "You look pretty today," he said as he sat down next to me, digging right into some eggs and biscuits.

I blushed, looking down at myself. _I didn't do anything special..._ "Er...thanks."

"So...how'd you sleep? I didn't expect you to be up this early."

"Oh...I forgot to reset my alarm."

Blaise nodded. "At least you're by yourself. We've got five different people to think about. We all have separate alarms now, but we still all wake up at the first one. Well, maybe except Vincent and Greg."

"Vincent and Greg?" I searched my mind for two second-year boys who fit those names.

"Crabbe and Goyle. They hang around Draco like a pair of bodyguards or something." Blaise shrugged. "I don't think he actually likes them too much. They're so stupid. But useful, I suppose, in their own way. Not bad guys, just...a bit dim." I nodded in agreement.

"How about you?" I asked. "I didn't think any of the boys would ever be awake before seven." It was Blaise's turn to blush.

"I, uh...wanted to...look nice for you." I thought Blaise's ears were going to catch fire; he was so red.

I giggled. "You succeeded." And indeed he had. His hair was in its normal spiky style, but his clothes were some the nicest and most expensive I had ever seen; other than on Draco, that is. Blaise had on a beautiful blue shirt that seemed to shimmer and accented his eyes perfectly. His pants were a coal-black made of some soft-looking material I couldn't place. I almost felt underdressed.

As more and more students filed in for breakfast, Blaise and I chatted about what we might do that day. We were confined to the grounds, so our choices were a little limited. Soon we were done with breakfast, so we headed out of the Great Hall to go outside. On our way out though, I ran into some one. I felt Blaise grab my upper arm, pulling me back against him.

"Watch it, Potter. Your ego doesn't need to take up the whole doorway," Blaise sneered.

"Neither does yours, Zabini." Harry retorted, his bright green eyes narrowing.

"Just take a good look around, Potter. You may not be here much longer." _What does that mean?_ I thought.

"Is that a threat?" Harry accused. Hermione and Ron came up behind Harry.

"Come on, Harry. Let's go eat." Hermione said, casting a quick but meaningful look at me. I nodded imperceptively and turned to Blaise.

"Blaise, let's go. They're not worth our time." Grabbing his hand, I pulled him towards the door of the castle. Blaise's glare lingered for a moment before his head followed his body. I looked over my shoulder at Harry, catching his eye as he stood in the doorway of the Great Hall.

It was like looking in a mirror.

* * *

"You can't tell me that that girl doesn't belong in Slytherin, Hermione." Ron said as he sat down at Gryffindor table. "Look who she was holding hands with! Did you hear what she said?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, Ron, I did. But you really didn't pay attention to what actually happened. That's your problem, Ron. You only see what you want to see."

"Well then, what was I _supposed_ to see?" he said sarcastically.

"That she didn't really mean it," Harry cut in, absorbed in staring at his plate of bacon and eggs.

Hermione nodded. "Right, Harry. She can't just go around acting nice to us. If she doesn't act like a Slytherin some of the time, she could get in big trouble with the other Slytherins. Especially Malfoy. Things are pretty nice now, and Blaise Zabini seems to like her well enough. As long as it stays that way, we're good. Because I did some reading last night while you two were at detention. Unless I've overlooked something, Raven's stuck in Slytherin. Once the Sorting Hat's made its decision, there's no changing it. And I can't see Dumbledore putting her somewhere else unless she's put in serious, life-threatening danger by the other Slytherins."

"Let's hope it never comes to that." Harry said sullenly.

"Yes, let's hope." Hermione said, finally starting her breakfast. Ron spoke up.

"Ok, so maybe she might not be so bad. But how can you be so sure she's not just _really_ good at fooling us?"

Harry answered. "Slytherins like to show off, Ron, you know that. Why would she try and hide it? Why go through the trouble?" He paused. "Besides, I could see it in her eyes that she wasn't lying."

"How so?" Ron asked while stuffing his face with hotcakes.

Harry finally picked up his fork. "Because it was like looking in a mirror."

* * *

As soon as we stepped outside into the crisp air, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Blaise still looked irritated.

"Blaise?" He turned to me, his frown softening.

"I'm ok. Those three just piss me off."

"I know." _Couldn't anybody get along?_ I felt disheartened. Apparently, it showed on my face.

"How are _you?_" He seemed to realise that my hand was in his, and tightened his grip.

Blushing, I turned away, removing my hand. "I'm fine," I lied. "I just don't like unnecessary confrontation." There was a long pause. _How was this mess ever going to work out?_

"I'm sorry, Raven." Blaise said from behind me.

I turned around. "What for?"

"For..." he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "For ruining our day together before it even started." He made it sound like a date or something. Which thinking back on it, he probably thought it was. But I put a hand on his arm, squeezing it.

"No, you didn't. It's not ruined. We'll just start over." I smiled in a way that I hope was reassuring. "Come on, let's go for a walk around the grounds." I hopped down the stairs and onto the grass. I felt Blaise follow me.

We idly toured Hogwarts grounds, walking through the greenhouses, skirting on the edges of the Dark Forest, and watching the Giant Squid swim lazily in the lake. Blaise suggested a swim, but I quickly declined, remembering last night's escapade in the water with Draco.

By lunchtime we were starved, but decided to eat outside and enjoy the late summer sunshine. Some of the other students followed our lead and made sandwiches to bring outside. Some of the other second-year Slytherins joined Blaise and I by the lake. Draco made a big scene about sitting on the grass in his expensive trousers, which I snorted at. _Now he makes a big deal about getting his clothes dirty. Bloody prat._ Eventually, Crabbe and Goyle laid their massive robes out for everyone to sit on. All in all, and even considering the company, that afternoon was pretty nice.

Then Pansy had to start asking questions.

"So Raven, tell us about yourself," she asked, obviously trying to see if there was any juicy gossip about me. She was an alright girl...even offered to help me with make-up someday, which I politely declined. _You'd think she was a sixth year with the way she offers to help me like I can't do it myself._

"I, um...well, what exactly do you want to know about?" I asked back, hoping beyond hope that they didn't ask me much. _I guess I can always lie...I'm gonna have to get used to it at some point...besides, isn't that what Slytherins do? Lie?_ I thought sarcastically.

"What do your mother and father do?" Pansy asked, examining her nails.

I looked down at the grass, playing with a few blades. "My father's dead." There was a silent moment of shock in the group, before Blaise put a comforting arm around me.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said in my ear. I shrugged a little.

"He died before I was born; I never knew him."

"What about your mum?" Pansy asked again. I looked up at her, then over to Draco, who was watching me intently. "She...makes due, I suppose. She's a wonderful seamstress and cook, she gets to travel all around Europe, and makes quite a bit of money from it, actually." I could tell by the looks on Pansy and Draco's faces that my mother did what they thought of as menial labour. They were wrong of course, but they could believe what they wanted.

Crabbe and Goyle looked rather bored with the whole conversation; they were almost dozing on the grass. Theodore was looking at the ground, lost in his own thoughts. Blaise seemed to be the only one really interested in what I had to say. And it was so hard to lie when he was around. His face was so open and sincere. It was amazing that he was put in Slytherin, really.

Draco asked the next question. "What about your grandparents?" I knew he was trying to dig up information. Luckily for me, I didn't have much information at the time.

Looking straight at him I said, "I don't know much about them, except that my mother's parents were from Denmark, originally." I turned to Blaise. "How about you, Blaise? What do your parents do?"

I learned that Blaise's father was an investment broker, one of the only ones in wizarding London. He owned quite a few firms and made a considerable amount of money on other wizard's shares. His mother was a law-witch for a few years, until Blaise's birth put her career on hold. He'd had a few nannies, but they never worked out; Blaise only ever wanted to be with his mother. I thought that was cute. _So Blaise was a momma's boy._ I internally laughed at the idea, and Blaise seemed slightly embarrassed, constantly scratching the back of his head, and looking away from me awkwardly.

Even when Blaise was old enough to have a private tutor to teach him reading and writing before he came to Hogwarts, his mother's career was put on hold again by the birth of his sister, Bailey Elizabeth. Bailey was seven now, so she would be attending Hogwarts in about four years. His mother was now back at work while Bailey was being tutored.

The rest of the group was getting very bored, not at all interested in the make-up of Blaise's family. Crabbe and Goyle were asleep on the grass, snoring softly. Theodore was quietly talking to Pansy about whatever, and Draco...well, Draco had been staring at me the whole time I talked with Blaise. He tried to make it look like he was paying attention to Blaise, but I could feel his gaze on me while he laid sprawled like some giant lounging cat on the ground. I think he was mad that I changed the topic from myself to Blaise. Oh well. Let him deal with it. I really didn't care.

* * *

_Draco,_

_I will find out what you've asked for. You should expect something by the end of October. Work will undoubtedly be delaying any time I have to look into your request._

_Your mother sends her love, and we will be seeing you on the first weekend of November._

_Your Father,_

_Lucius Malfoy_

* * *

It was a good thing that we spent some time outside that day, because while the rest of September was rather nice, October was horrid. And everyone suddenly had so much homework that we never got a chance to go outside...unless you were on the Quidditch teams.

One morning though, in the middle of October, I received a letter from Professor Dumbledore, requesting an audience with me before morning classes. He gave me directions and the password to his office, and the second I was finished with breakfast, I headed upstairs to see him.

I knocked on the door, and opened it a crack, sticking my head in. He was sitting behind a lavish desk past the antechamber. "Professor Dumbledore? You sent a note saying you wished to speak with me?"

"Ah, yes, Miss Harrell. Do come in." he beckoned me inside. "Would you like some tea? A biscuit?" He held out a tin to me.

"No thank you, Professor." I replied as I sat down in a big stuffy chair that was in front of his desk.

"Well, Miss Harrell, I believe you may already know what I've called you for." I nodded.

"My mother's spoken with you, hasn't she?"

"Yes, my dear, she has. Unfortunately, there us nothing I can do. It would seem very suspicious if I suddenly moved you into another house, or gave you special quarters. Your mother has expressed her concern about your welfare, considering your family history, and I have assured her that I will do all that I can to ensure your safety while at this school. I have informed the other professors of your situation, so please feel free to contact any of them if you are so inclined. Especially Professor Snape. If there is anything at all you wish to speak about with someone in authority, anything at all, please don't hesitate."

"I understand. Thank you, Professor."

"If any problems arise, in which you feel that your privacy is being breached, I have means to secure it. Just ask." He leaned forward. "You are lucky, considering your situation, to have a room all to yourself." He leaned back into his chair. "And because of that, unless you feel that your life is threatened, I will not be able to give you special privileges to move to another location. So please, keep the staff informed if you feel there is a problem, so things can be taken care of as they arise."

"Yes, sir. I will. But...do you think that that will happen? That my life will be threatened?"

"No. I really do not believe that it will be a problem." He smiled merrily. "Now," he said, rising from his chair and moving around his desk to walk me to the door. "I'll let you get to class. Take this note to Professor Snape." He said, handing me a folded piece of parchment. "It will excuse your tardiness."

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." I left his office and headed straight to the dungeons to get my things before heading to class. I wasn't sure how I felt to have everyone's assumptions confirmed. _I guess I'll just make the most of it. Just talk with the professors, he says. Like _that's_ easy. Jeeze. _

When I got to my classroom, I opened the door slowly, edging my body in. The whole class turned to look at me.

"Miss Harrell, you're late." Professor Snape said, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

"Sorry, sir. I have a note from Professor Dumbledore." I handed him the note, waiting for him to read it before going to sit down. There were a few whispers amongst the rest of the class.

"Very well." Snape said, after he finished reading. "You will see me after class. Please sit down." Then he turned back to the class. I sat down quickly, pulling my supplies out from my bag quietly.

After class, I approached Snape's desk, as all the other students filed out of the dungeon. "Yes, Professor?"

"Professor Dumbledore has explained to me your...precarious position within Slytherin House." I nodded. "I trust that you will be smart enough to come to me if anymore...problems arise similar to the one at the start of term."

"Yes, sir. I will."

"Good. Although your family history is questionable, I'm sure you realise that you _are_ a Slytherin. And being a Slytherin is a noble thing Raven. I am sure you also realise that Slytherins are generally not well thought of in this school, however, the other houses never look past the surface. I am hoping you will learn to quickly, for your own safety as well as for the knowledge that everything is not always as it seems. If you remember the Sorting Hat's song, '_While_ _Slytherin stays cunning, ambitions most surmised...'_ a real Slytherin never shows their true ambitions. And as such, they are constantly misunderstood. Remember that. Here is a note for your next teacher. You may go now."

"Thank you for your advice, sir." I bowed my head a little in a bow.

Snape's lips quirked up in and rare and barely noticeable smile. "You're welcome." I left him, heading off to my next class. I think Professor Snape's words only confused me more. But it was something to think about, at least.

* * *

As I said before, October's weather was horrible, and I was really looking forward to the end of October however, but for two reasons unrelated to the weather: Halloween and the start of the Quidditch Season.

Halloween is my favourite holiday, aside from Christmas, but I absolutely love autumn, and the colours outside are absolutely beautiful. It's too bad the weather ruined any chance of really enjoying it. As did another thing.

After the Halloween feast, where I stuffed myself with _way_ too many sweets, everyone was on their way to their dormitories when the flow of movement suddenly stopped and it became very quiet. Draco was right in front of me, so when he stepped forward to say, "Enemies of the heir beware! You'll be next Mudbloods!" I caught sight of what had caused the interruption.

Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, was hanging by her tail, stiff as a board, from a torch bracket in the wall. And above her was a sickening red and wet message reading: THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE. It was easily the most horrible thing I had ever seen. At first, I thought it might be a Halloween joke, but if Draco wasn't laughing, then there was definitely a problem. And standing right in front of it was Harry Potter.

I almost couldn't believe it. A flittering thought about Blaise's words earlier in the term passed through my mind. But as I saw Hermione and Ron, and the frightened looks on their faces, I knew it couldn't be true.

Seconds after Draco's outburst, Filch turned up and then Dumbledore, diffusing the situation. We all headed back to the Slytherin dungeons, most of the students muttering around me.

Once inside the common room I asked Draco, "Why'd you say something like that, Malfoy?"

He turned to me. "Because it's true." He grinned.

"Was it you?" The rest of the Slytherins milled around the common room, watching the interaction between the two of us.

He scoffed. "Of course not. I know quite a few spells that are beyond the second-year level, but I haven't learned that one; yet. Why do you care?"

"Because regardless of anyone's dislike of Filch or Mrs. Norris, that was a terrible thing to do."

"Maybe it's not about Filch or Mrs. Norris. Maybe it's about getting rid of people who don't belong in this school."

"Like who?"

He looked at me like I was dense. "Like the Mudbloods! They can't be proper wizards. They're not pureblood. If they're not pureblood, they shouldn't be here. And that includes that insufferable Harry Potter. He's only half, anyway. But he might as well be a Mudblood, for all his muggle relatives did for him. That's why Slytherin's the best house to be in. You can be guaranteed that we're all pureblood. And were raised that way." There were cheers around the room, but I wasn't quite sure what to say to all of that, considering I didn't really understand it all. _Pureblood? Half? What does he mean? And that's the second time I've heard the word 'Mudblood.' And I still don't quite understand who it refers to._ Since I couldn't think of anything to say, I frowned, and turned to go to my room.

* * *

Seeing as my second most anticipated thing about the end of October was the beginning of the Quidditch Season, I was very excited about the first match. The first Quidditch match, it was, of course, Slytherin against Gryffindor. I remember sitting in the stands, holding a little Slytherin flag, cheering on...whoever. Secretly Harry, as far as the seeking went, but Slytherin as far as gaining house points went. I didn't want Draco to catch the Snitch, even if I wanted us to win. His ego didn't need any encouragement.

The second the Bludger missed Harry the first time, I gasped. _Was this how Quidditch was normally played?_ But I soon realised that there was something very wrong, especially when the Weasley twins became stuck to Harry's sides like glue, trying to keep the Bludger away from him.

Draco just flew around lazily and laughed, and all I wanted to do was fly out there and wipe that smug look off his face. _He probably enchanted the Bludger!_ And the rest of the Slytherins around me weren't helping the situation any. It started to rain, but the cold didn't seep in, I was too worried about Harry. And I was so mad, watching the Slytherin team point and jeer at Harry during the time-out. _How can anyone be so cruel?_

As the game restarted, I watched Harry intently. I was the only one in Slytherin House that gasped in shock when the Bludger hit Harry's arm, making a sickening crack, obviously breaking it. Everyone else cheered.

I watched as Harry dove for Malfoy. _What was he doing?_ Then I saw the Snitch, about two seconds before Harry caught it. _He did it! He caught the Snitch!_ The rest of the stands cheered, and I was about to also when I heard the boos come from the people around me. I stood silent, and watched in horror as Harry fell to the ground. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to leave, or I was going to show the other Slytherins how I really felt. And I knew that I couldn't do that. I turned to Blaise.

"Blaise, I'm going back inside. I'll see you there!" And before he could reply I was gone, stumbling out of the stands and running back up to the school, tears welling in my eyes. I didn't stop until I was safe in my room, with the door locked. Then I collapsed, sobbing.

I can't do this. I just can't do it.

But soon my tears slowed, and I knew I'd have to go out into the common room at some point, or everyone would become really suspicious. So I discarded my wet and muddy clothes, and decided to take a quick hot shower before showing my face.

Feeling slightly refreshed and ready to face the other Slytherins, I redressed in some clean sweatpants and a jumper, and then I went out into the common room, where a majority of the Slytherins were still gathered. Blaise immediately came up to me, Theodore tagging along.

"Hey, Raven. Where'd you go?" Blaise asked.

"Oh, I was just freezing cold, so I came inside to warm up and take a hot shower. Besides, we were defeated, there was nothing else to see, right?"

"Actually," Theo cut in, grinning. "Potter lost all the bones in his arm!"

Puzzled, I asked, "What?"

"You know he broke his arm, right?" I nodded. "Well, Lockhart tried to mend it, but he wound up removing all the bones! It was hilarious!" Theo and Blaise burst out laughing, while I stood there trying to act like I thought it was funny.

"That must feel odd...having an arm with no bones." I said as I sat down on a sofa by the fire. Blaise sat down on one side of me, Theo on the other.

"At least it's not one of us!" Blaise joked. "So, Raven, you warm yet?" he said, putting an arm behind me on the couch.

I snuggled back into the sofa. "Getting there."

Just then, Crabbe and Goyle lumbered up to us. "Do you know where Draco is?" Crabbe said, looking almost like a lost puppy.

Theo shrugged. "No idea." But the person in question appeared, slamming his way into the common room and down the boy's corridor. He looked pissed beyond reason. Everyone sat in silence as a door being thrown shut was heard from down the hall. As soon as it was over, everyone went back to what they were doing.

"Isn't anyone going to see if he's ok?" I asked.

Blaise shook his head. "There's no point, really. Although Draco strives on attention, he's a loner. He just needs some time to cool off. As long as it's before bedtime, it's fine by me. Besides, it's probably just his father, anyway." The other boys nodded.

"What do you mean, exactly?"

Theo spoke up. "Draco's father is a very proud man. We all are, really. But Draco _really_ embarrassed himself out there. Even Flint gave him shit about it."

"Embarrassed himself?" I searched my memory for some moment of possible embarrassment for Draco during the game. I couldn't think of any, and I was probably too focused on Harry anyway.

"Yeah," Theo said. "The Snitch was just behind his left ear. He was too busy laughing at Potter to hear it. So Potter caught it instead."

"And lost us the match." Blaise finished. Theo nodded.

"I see." I paused. "So Draco probably just got back from a verbal beating from his father?"

"Probably," Blaise said. "And let's hope it was only verbal."

"What do you mean? Does Draco's father beat him?"

Blaise shrugged. "Well, no one knows for sure. But it wouldn't really surprise us. It's not like our parents aren't the same sometimes, right?" _Oh, gods, that's terrible. Don't any of these people know love?_

"Well, if you ask me," Flint said from behind us, "He deserves whatever his father gave to him. Draco hardly showed his worth out there today." Suddenly angry, I stood up and faced him.

"Is that all Draco's worth to you? A Quidditch game? House points? Seven fancy brooms?"

"For right now, yes."

A disgusted look passed over my face. "You sicken me, Flint. I thought Slytherins stuck together. How do you expect to get anywhere in the battle against your enemies if you can't even trust each other?" And with that, I stalked back to my room, skipping the rest of the day.

* * *

Thanks everyone for reading! Please review! 


	8. Midnight Discoveries: The Letter

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only Raven and her family and background. And this story. Yeah.

Summary: This is a girl's quest to find out just why she was placed in a house with people she hates. A witch, raised as a muggle, finds out about her family history. Unexpectedly, she is inducted into Slytherin House, and is doing everything in her power to find out why.

Chapter Notes: _This...was an emotional chapter to write. It's actually a little dark in tone. **Please** give me feedback. I'd really like to know what you all think. I'm actually going to up the rating to PG-13 due to language. There isn't really any _bad_ language, per se...but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Oh, and the proper way to pronounce Raven's mother's maiden name is lee-see (spelled Lyse) It's Danish for 'light.'_

_So, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to tell me. I'll try to accommodate as best I can. (I really like ideas... :)_

Please review, I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant it.)

* * *

**Midnight Discoveries: The Letter**

* * *

When I heard of Colin Creevey's attack on Monday morning, I wasn't sure what to think. _Who could possibly be petrifying everyone? Or what?_ I didn't like to think of the answer. I stuck close to the other boys in my class: Donnie Kestren, Jack Spinner, Ashley Harmon, and Jesse Jameson. Blaise kept reassuring me that we'd all be fine, since we were in Slytherin, but I really wasn't so sure. 

But it all really came down to the second Friday of November, when I found out just how dangerous it was for me to be in Slytherin.

I was having a hard time sleeping, and pacing around my room was getting me nowhere. I finally decided to venture out into the common room with the hope that I could divulge myself in something that had been calling to me all year, but I had been too preoccupied to listen to. The grand piano.

I had learned to play at a young age, but never considered myself any good. I never did like recitals...I could never get myself to play in front of more than a few people. But on the other hand, I could hear almost any contemporary piece and teach myself to play it, just on listening alone. Especially muggle mainstream music with piano as a focal instrument. Older pieces, the classics, were more difficult for me, so I mainly relied on sheet music to play those.

So here I was, at two a.m. in the morning, wearing only my black, short-sleeved, floor length shift, padding silently over to the glowing green presence of the piano in the corner. It seemed to be waiting, just for me. I had always wondered why it was in the common room; I had never seen anyone play it. I just assumed that Salazar Slytherin had liked piano music, so he had one put in his house's common room.

I approached it slowly; almost afraid it might jump away if I got too close. But I finally reached the bench, and sat down timidly. Moving the key-cover up, I placed my fingers on the keys, remembering the feel of the cool ivory under my skin. Settling into the bench, I softly went through a few scales, warming my fingers up and stretching the long-unused muscles. After my fingers felt limber enough, I thought of a song to play, and began.

It wasn't a long piece, but one I knew by heart, and had always reached into my soul. It was a soft, light tune, but had a sad quality in the lower register. My emotions are always high when I play. I can never keep emotion out of any piece I play. Which I think is a good thing, because what is music but an expression of emotion? But my piano teacher told me that I couldn't rely on that alone, that I had to learn the technicalities behind the music, or I would never fully understand it. But I really didn't care. All I wanted to do was play.

As the piece ended, there was rise of silence after the last lingering note. I sighed a little, happy to be back with a familiar friend. But loud, singular clapping broke through my world. Startled, I stood up quickly, and turned my head to the other end of the common room, closer to the door. Draco Malfoy was leaning against the back of a sofa. _Shit! How long has he been there?_

"Well, well, well. It seems we have a traitor in our midst." He stalked towards me, smiling in a Cheshire way, moving more gracefully than I had ever seen a human body move before.

I stood there, frozen. "What are you talking about, Draco?" I said cautiously.

"Why, Raven...I didn't think I'd have to spell it out for you...tut, tut." He shook his head. "I'm referring to your kinship with muggles, of course. I'm assuming that was a muggle piece?" He was still advancing on me.

_What is he getting at?_ "I still don't know what you're talking about."

He was right in front of me now. His face turned into a look of disdain. "Don't play stupid, Raven. I'm talking about the fact that you were raised like a muggle, that you're only _half_-blood, which might as well be _Mudblood_ in my opinion." He snarled. _Oh my god. His father...he must have found something...Oh, Mum..._ My voice was caught in my throat. I could barely breathe. And Draco's close proximity was making me dizzy again. "But I guess you don't know what Mudblood means, do you, Raven? Hmph. It means that you're not a _proper_ witch. Your blood isn't _pure_ witch's blood. And the fact that your _witch mother_ was _stupid_ enough to raise you as a muggle...well, that makes you a Mudblood in my opinion. You might as well have been muggle-born, just like that Granger. And Mudbloods don't belong here. You played a pretty good game, though, but I knew there was something wrong with you. And I still can't possibly see how you got into Slytherin. There really is something wrong with this school."

"Your father..." I whispered.

He smirked. "Yes. My father. He has wonderful connections, you know. I'm guessing Blaise told you that I wrote to him, hm? Well, I've been mulling over this information for two weeks, Raven. My father gave me this," he pulled a letter out of his robes, "the day of the Quidditch match against Gryffindor."

"Is that what you were mad about? That I'm not _your_ idea of a proper witch? A proper Slytherin?" I was slowly gaining my voice back.

He narrowed his gaze. "No, I didn't read this until later that night. But what I was mad about is none of your concern. I'd think staying alive for the next six and a half years should be your newest concern, however." There was a mad glint forming in his eye. "Here. Read what my father had to say." He handed me the letter.

"I'm really sorry I ever defended you against Flint, Malfoy," I said, disgusted. He raised an eyebrow.

"And it better not happen again. I hardly need your help, Mudblood." Rolling my eyes and shaking my head, I unfolded the letter.

_Draco,_

_I have found the most interesting information on your inquiry. It seems that young Miss Harrell's father was an old adversary. I had thought the name sounded familiar._

_First, I'll tell you of Miss Harrell's childhood. Her mother, Katherine Lyse-Harrell, raised her alone, in a small village outside of London. Her father, Garry Harrell, was killed shortly after she was conceived because of his involvement for a short while in work against our Lord, but he was not a complete member of the organization against him, the Order of the Phoenix. However, he was meddlesome enough for the Lord's taste. _

_Her mother, now pregnant and a widow, ran away from the wizarding world to raise her daughter as a muggle. I suppose she thought they would be safe, which they were, but they didn't completely cover their tracks._

_Mrs. Harrell's parents, the Lyses, had been sending her as much wizarding money as they could without being immediately noticed. They were both wealthy wizards from Denmark, originally, but immigrated to England before their daughter was born. Mr. Lyse was killed as a by-product of our Lord's cause, and Mrs. Lyse died of a heart attack a few months later. This was shortly after Miss Harrell was born. Later, a few renegade wizards of the Lord's cause killed her grandparents on her father's side. The reason for this being that Miss Harrell's father was a Mudblood. His parents were muggles. So, our Miss Harrell is only half-blood. And you say she's in Slytherin? Interesting._

_It seems odd that she would be placed in Slytherin, not just because she's half-blood, or raised as a muggle, but because of who killed most of her immediate family: Lucius Malfoy. It was I, Draco, along with a few others, that killed the Harrells and Mr. Lyse._

_You may do with this information as you wish. Although I do forbid you from harming Miss Harrell or her mother. It would not do to start raising questions as to your motives behind such acts. And of course, you know what to do with this letter when you are finished reading it. I cannot have any documents lying around that might compromise our family's future._

_I will be hearing from you._

_Your Father,_

_Lucius Malfoy_

My heart was caught in my throat. _This isn't happening. I'm dreaming. I must be. Oh my god. Lucius killed father. Killed Grandpa Lyse. Killed Grandma and Grandpa Harrell._ Tears started streaming down my face. I felt like screaming. I clenched my fists around the letter, nearly tearing it in two. Then I lashed out at Draco, shoving him hard in the chest. He stumbled back off of the little raised area we were standing on, a shocked look on his usually smug face. I followed up on my push, landing on top of him and punching him in the chest, the stomach, wherever I could reach in my blurry-eyed haze.

"How can you...you evil bastard! How can you just stand there? I hate you! I hate you!" I cried, tears tolling down my cheeks. "How can you just stand there, with the knowledge...that-that your father _killed_ someone? How? How..." I sat back, exhausted, my cheeks burning, my eyes sore. But I was still crying. My fists were buried in Draco's shirt, gripping at the material hard.

Draco took advantage of my halted anger and pushed me off of him, switching our positions. I just lay there, my face turned away, crying into the rug beneath me, speaking in broken sobs. "Your father_ killed_ my father, Draco...Don't you understand that? Daddy's _dead_ because of your father. I have no father...no family; just because of who his parents were...do you know what it's like? To have no family, no sense of who you are? Do you know what it's like to live in fear...in fear that the child inside of you has a price on their head...that your husband is suddenly gone? That's what my mother had to live through, Draco. She couldn't even practice magic, something she had known her whole life, just so she could protect me. Could _you _make that sacrifice? She had to. And all because of your bloody father and his lord's _stupid_ cause," I spat.

Draco was silent. And I couldn't bear to look into his eyes. I didn't want to see the disdain and the disgust I knew would be there, the same icy eyes of the man who killed my father. I didn't want to feel like I was drowning, like I always did when I looked into his eyes for too long. I couldn't do it. I had crumpled up inside. It felt like a part of me was dying. I just laid there, exhausted in all ways possible, my face and eyes expressionless, tears falling onto the floor and into my hair. But I didn't wipe them away. I had no strength to. I was an empty shell. I could almost see myself, as if watching from beyond my body. Draco was holding down my arms, but I had never made a move to struggle. I suddenly didn't care anymore.

Draco finally moved, getting off of me. I vaguely saw out of my peripheral vision as he leaned down to take the letter from my hand, casting a fire spell on it, letting it burst into flames and fall to the floor in ashes next to me.

"This will stay between us, for now." He said quietly, his voice devoid of emotion. Then he was gone.

I just lay there an empty shell, until sleep finally claimed my shattered mind.

* * *

Draco quietly strode into the second-year boy's dormitory. He took off his robes and his school uniform, and quickly dressed in his satin pyjamas. He lay down on his bed, closed the hangings, and then crossed his arms behind his head. Closing his eyes, he breathed in and out deeply, trying to calm his frayed nerves. Then he rolled over onto his side, hugging one of his pillows to his body. 

"Oh, Merlin, what have I done?" he whispered into the quiet of the early morning.

* * *

I woke up the next morning feeling cold, stiff, and confused. _Where am I?_ Someone was shaking me, calling my name. 

"Raven! Raven, wake up! Oh, Merlin, what happened to you?" I cracked my swollen eyes open, squinting in the bright light.

"Blaise?" my voice came out as barely a whisper.

Relief spread through his voice. "Yes, Raven, it's me. What's going on? What are you doing sleeping on the common room floor?" _The common room floor? Is that why I'm so cold?_ Slowly, I moved to sit up, Blaise helping me. I looked around and saw Theo, Pansy, Donnie, Jack and Jesse, all looking down at me, confused looks on their faces. Then I saw the piano, and it all came rushing back to me. Everything.

As tears started rolling down my face, I clenched my stomach, doubling over. I felt absolutely sick. _Oh my god. Daddy..._

"Raven? What's wrong? What happened?" I shook my head. _How could he understand? How could any of them? They'd hate me for sure. They'd kill me._ I pushed Blaise away, moving to stand.

"She's probably just sick," came a voice from behind the crowd. It was Draco. "She _was_ lying on that cold floor all night."

I started shaking at the sound of his voice. _Yes, I'm sick. No thanks to you, Draco, you bloody bastard._

"She does look kinda pale," Pansy said.

Blaise took me by the arm. "Here, I'll take you to the hospital wing." But Draco stepped forward.

"I'll do it Zabini. I'll have either Crabbe or Goyle carry her. She shouldn't be walking around the castle when she's sick." I shook my head. _No, not him. No, please, you don't understand! It was his father..._

Blaise nodded. "Ok." He cast me a smile, then left to go to breakfast, along with the others. Despair rose up in me, and when Draco inclined his chin in my direction, ordering Goyle to pick me up, I started screaming and beating on him. "NO! No, put me down! Please! It was him! It was him! Let me go!" But Goyle held on tight, cradling me closer to his massive body. "No...no..."

I quieted as we entered the corridor, trying not to breathe Goyle in. Draco walked next to us, his face unreadable. Crabbe had gone off to breakfast already. Quickly and quietly, we made our way to the hospital. When we arrived, Draco indicated to Goyle to put me in a bed, and then told him to go get Madam Pomfrey. Then he stood next to my bed, watching me. I kept my gaze away, looking at the far wall.

Soon though, Madam Pomfrey arrived, moving Draco aside and started examining me.

"So what's wrong dear?" I didn't move. Madam Pomfrey turned to Draco. "What happened? Why was this child brought to me?"

Draco answered. "We thought she might be sick, ma'am. We found her lying asleep on our common room floor." _And guess who put me there and left me..._ "She looked really pale and was clutching her stomach when she awoke." Madam Pomfrey turned back to me.

"Goodness, child, what were you doing on the floor of the dungeons? Trying to give yourself hypothermia?" She touched my forehead. "No fever...but your skin is like ice. Does your stomach hurt, dear?" I blinked in response. Madam Pomfrey turned back to Draco. "Is she normally this unresponsive?"

Draco shook his head. "I'm not sure what's wrong, Madam Pomfrey." _Liar._

Madam Pomfrey shook her head, looking down at me. "Well, I suppose I'll let her stay here and warm up; I'll keep an eye on her to make sure that she didn't catch a cold of some sort," She said to Draco and Goyle. "Now, shoo! You're missing your breakfast!"

"I'd like to stay with her a minute, if you don't mind?" Draco asked. _NO! Not him...oh gods, please, why can't I just die in peace?_

"Well, alright, but only for a few minutes, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Madam Pomfrey left. "Goyle, go wait outside for me." Goyle left too. Now I was all alone with the only person I can truly say I hated.

Draco approached the side of my bed. Tears welled up in my eyes and I cried silently. He leaned down towards my ear. I was terrified. His presence was so oppressive.

"I'm doing this for your own good, you know. You need to rest away from us," he whispered in my ear. A bit of laughter started in my throat.

"What? Trying to clear your conscious? You think that will make it all better?" I whispered bitterly back, finally turning to face him. I found his eyes weren't affecting me anymore. At least not in the same way. His eyes were completely open, even if his face wasn't. The mercury irises were an abnormally rich blue, and although the pride was there, because I don't think it can ever leave, there were his true feelings showing too. I don't think he realized how well I could read his emotions. And I didn't want to think of what they meant, either.

He shook his head. "No. I don't. And...I don't say this...ever really, but...I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what my father did to your family. You were right. I don't know what it feels like."

I glared at him, at his pity-filled face. It was such an odd expression for him, but all it did was make me mad. "I don't need your apology. Or your pity. Now go away."

"Raven, I'll-" But I sat up.

"NO! I don't care! I said GO AWAY!" I screamed, and Draco stumbled back a bit, as if pushed. Madam Pomfrey was there the next second, pushing Draco away and me back onto the bed.

"What on earth? Mr. Malfoy, your time is up. I cannot have you aggravating my patient. Now go!" And then he was gone. Madam Pomfrey turned to me. "Goodness, child! I'm surprised you didn't wake the dead with that screaming!" She studied my tear-stained face a moment. "What happened dear? Did he hurt you?" She handed me a handkerchief.

"No." I said quietly, looking away. "I just hate him. And his father. And my house." I twisted the handkerchief in my hands as Madam Pomfrey just looked at me quietly.

"Well, you can stay here for a few days, until you feel better. But I expect you to go to class on Monday, understand?" I nodded. "If you need to talk, I'll be here. I can't have any problems plaguing the students into sickness. Is there anything else you need?"

I shook my head. "Well, maybe...something warm to drink? I'm still feeling a bit chilled." She smiled a rare smile.

"Sure dear. I'll bring you some hot cocoa and some soup, how is that?"

"That's fine. Thank you very much Madam Pomfrey."

"It's not a problem, child. Now get some rest."

* * *

Thanks everyone for reading! Please review! 


	9. Secret Friends

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only Raven and her family and background. And this story. Yeah.

Summary: This is a girl's quest to find out just why she was placed in a house with people she hates. A witch, raised as a muggle, finds out about her family history. Unexpectedly, she is inducted into Slytherin House, and is doing everything in her power to find out why.

**Chapter Notes: **_Ok...I sort of lied when I said Raven wouldn't be getting involved with the main characters too much. This chapter, especially, is proof of that. (But honestly, how could she _not _get involved with Draco? He's such a pain in the arse.)_ _This was one of my most anticipated chapters to write. But I hope you guys all like it...This is when things really start getting interesting..._

_So, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to tell me. I'll try to accommodate as best I can. (I really like ideas... :)_

Please review; I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant it.)

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**Secret Friends**

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I stayed in the hospital wing until Monday morning, when classes started again. When I was around the other Slytherins, I used all of my internal strength and acted as if I was all I had had was a mild cold. I avoided Draco like the plague, but he kept his distance from me as well. 

While I was in the infirmary, Blaise and Theo had tried to visit, but thankfully Madam Pomfrey shooed them away, claiming that I needed my rest. Pansy was at least thoughtful enough to bring me my homework and a fresh set of clothes, although I secretly suspect she was doing it to try and save me the embarrassment of an overly-eager-to-help Blaise going through my things. Nice girl, really, when you weren't on her bad side. Hopefully, things would stay that way.

My time in the hospital wing was spent mainly lying there, staring at the various parts of the room, thinking about what had happened between Draco and I, and what I had learned. I had spent a fair share of it crying as well, but whenever Madam Pomfrey asked about it, I shook my head. She really was a sweet lady, Madam Pomfrey, but for some reason, I remembered what Draco had said before he left me that night, and I kept the knowledge of what really happened to my family between us. _I can't tell _anybody._ Not a soul._

But I broke that promise, less than a week later.

A few nights had gone by since I had gotten back from the hospital, but I was still having problems sleeping. I would finish all of my homework, and then lie there for hours, staring up into the darkness of the room. I tried reading, I tried writing to Hermione, I tried pacing...I even tried to see if playing the piano might help. But nothing did. I couldn't sit at the piano for more than a few minutes, until, without even playing anything, I had to leave. I thought I was going to be sick every time I thought about that night.

The Thursday after, I believe, I finally ventured out into the school. I figured if I stuck to the obscure passageways of the dungeons, maybe no one would find me. How wrong I was.

I was just turning a corner when I bumped into something warm and quite solid. But there was nothing there.

"Who's there?" I whispered. I tentatively reached forward, to see if whatever it was, was still there. There was nothing but air. Puzzled, I kept walking down the corridor, darting my eyes around, just in case they weren't just fooling me.

I was about ten feet from the next corridor when I heard footsteps coming towards me from around the corner. Looking around wildly, I searched for some means of hiding myself. There was nothing. Quite suddenly though, I felt an invisible hand slip over my mouth and another around my waist, pulling me back against a warm body. I struggled for a moment, afraid it was Draco again, but heard a silent whisper in my ear.

"Shh...I'm not going to hurt you." Then my mouth was released, and I felt a light silky fabric cover me from head to toe. I could now see my invisible saviour. It was Harry Potter.

Relief spread through me as he held me close to him underneath the invisibility cloth. I wasn't even sure I wanted to know what Harry was doing wandering around the dungeons in the middle of the night. But when Filch came around the corner the next minute, I didn't care. I was just glad that he was there.

Filch turned the corner, with a scowl on his face that rivalled most. He stopped about three feet away from Harry and I, scanning the corridor. Harry and I held our breath. Then Filch sighed. "I wish Mrs. Norris were here," he said, full of sorrow. Then he moved along, down the corridor and around the corner.

Harry and I both let our breath out at the same time, making a _whoosh_ sound. I pulled away a little. "Harry?" I whispered.

He nodded. "Raven." Then he smiled. "Let's not talk here. Is there a classroom or broom cupboard nearby?"

I nodded. "This way." Then I led him by the hand, around the corner and into a small, unused broom closet. Harry took the invisibility cloth off of us, casting a silencing bubble charm around the room. I cast a _lumos_ spell on my wand, so we could see. Then I looked at the invisibility cloth in wonder. "Did you enchant it?" I asked, fingering the silky fabric.

Harry shook his head, grinning. "I wish. No, it was my father's invisibility cloak. They're really rare."

"Wow." I took a large breath. "Oh, goodness Harry, I really can't thank you enough. I don't know what Filch would have done to me..."

"It's alright. But I'm wondering what you're doing walking around the dungeons in the middle of the night. Especially without anything to hide yourself with, and with a monster on the loose."

I frowned, looking at the ground. "Honestly...I didn't think about the monster...or that anyone would be patrolling these parts of the dungeons. I've...just been having a hard time sleeping..."

"Why's that?"

I bit my lower lip. "I...my...I..." I stuttered.

"It's alright. You don't have to tell me."

"No! I...I want to! But...I'm not sure how to start..." I fiddled with my wand, the light dancing around the small room, casting angry shadows. Harry sat down against a wall, his knees drawn up and his arms crossed over them, waiting patiently.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said. I finally sat down right in front of him, crossing my legs, placing my wand in between us.

"How...how much has Hermione told you about me? I know that you know she's offered her friendship to me."

Harry shrugged. "Not a whole lot, other than you're really nice and don't belong in Slytherin, but that you're pretty much stuck there."

I nodded. "Mum and Dumbledore told me the same thing," I sighed. "Well, I suppose I haven't really told Hermione all that much about myself, for her to be able to tell you anything."

"She hasn't mentioned any more letters from you other than the first one."

"Yeah...I meant to write back to her...but...life suddenly got so complicated."

"I know what you mean. But she knows that you're grateful. She's a really understanding person, Hermione."

I nodded. _I just hope she's understanding enough to stick by me when she finds out what happened to my family. It'll be even more dangerous, being my friend._

I took a deep breath. "I heard...I heard that Voldemort killed your parents."

Harry's face fell. "Yeah. He did."

"Most of my family's dead too." I didn't know what was wrong with me, but words just kept tumbling out of my mouth. It was like I could tell him anything.

"Really?"

"Yeah, except Mum. She's the only one left, besides me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. How did they die?"

Tears sprung up in my eyes. It seemed like I was always crying these days. "My father was...my father was killed. B-Because he was...a-a Mudblood." My breath shuddered, as I tried to rein my tears in.

Harry was silent for a moment. "It was Voldemort, wasn't it?" he asked quietly, and I nodded.

"Did you know...that I was raised as if I were a muggle...like you were?" I asked Harry.

He shook his head. "No, I didn't."

"My mum hid after Daddy was killed. I wasn't even born yet. She was a pureblood witch, and she had to raise me like a muggle, to protect me. All because of Voldemort. Even Daddy's parents died because of Voldemort. Mum's dad died too. Then Grandma had a heart attack and died. They all left her. My mum. She was left all alone with me in the muggle world because of Voldemort." The tears kept streaming down my face. I couldn't control it any longer, I started sobbing. "I never knew about any of this; being a witch, how daddy died...none of it, until this year."

Harry studied me a moment before placing a hand on my shoulder. "I know exactly how you feel. I never knew my parents, either. I had to live with my aunt and uncle, who hate magic. My Aunt Petunia was my mum's sister. She always hated my mum, and me, but never told me why. I never knew about any of this either, until last year."

I sat there, wiping my eyes and sniffling. "You don't know how long I've been wanting to talk to you, Harry."

"To me?"

I nodded. "I saw you in Diagon Alley, that day you ran into Malfoy. I heard what you said to his father about your parents, and I knew I wanted to be in your house, to be friends with you, to talk to you about our parents. I needed someone to talk to. Mum has a hard time, talking about it."

I could see his eyes as he searched for the day I was talking about. They were so expressive, his eyes. And so green, just like mine. I realized then, just how much we looked alike.

"Raven..." he started.

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you something that might sound a little odd?"

"Of course you can."

Harry took a deep breath. "Ever since Hermione told me and Ron about you...I've been thinking. I mean, I've been a little preoccupied with the attacks...but when I see you around school, I feel like I need to help you. I know I warned Hermione about being your friend, but I just can't help feeling like you should have more than that. More than just a letter every now and then. I can't imagine life without seeing or talking to Ron and Hermione. They're my best friends." He sighed, playing with the hem on his shirt. "And I want you to have the same, even if the whole school doesn't know it."

_That's so sweet._ "I'd like that a lot, Harry. I'd really like to be your friend." I smiled at him.

He smiled back. "I'd really like to be your friend too."

"I..." I started. I looked down at my hands, twisting them in my lap. Harry lifted my chin.

"It's ok. Whatever it is, I'm here." Hearing that, I felt so much better than the news I was preparing to tell him.

I tried again. "As your friend, I don't want to keep any secrets from you. So I want to tell you that I found out who actually killed my father."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

Harry was silent for a long moment. "How..." he swallowed. "How did you find out?"

"Draco." Harry scowled. "He wrote to his father a week after I got here. He's actually known for a while...since the first Quidditch match. But he only told me Friday night. I read the letter myself."

"That bastard." He shook his head, an unbecoming snarl on his face. Then he looked up at me, a wild look in his eyes. "Do you have it? The letter? Something like that could put Lucius Malfoy away for...forever!"

I shook my head. "No, I don't have it. I was kind of...distracted, I guess, by the news, so when Draco took the letter and burned it, I didn't think to stop him. He told me that it would stay between us, for now."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "It seems rather odd that he would keep something like that a secret."

"I think so too. I don't trust him. I never have. He even told me that he was sorry, and I suppose he seemed to mean it, but it was so unlike him, that I really can't believe him. He was calling me a Mudblood, boasting about his father the whole time. And then I read the letter." I laughed a bit. "After that, I beat the crap out of him."

Harry smiled. "You did?"

I shrugged. "Not really. I just jumped on him and started punching, but I was so upset that I didn't get very far. He left me lying there, on the common room floor, and then feigned ignorance when everyone found me the next morning. He even had the nerve to suggest that I was sick, then escorted me to the infirmary, where I stayed all weekend." I paused. "That was when he told me that he was sorry for what his father did to my family. He really seemed different then. His eyes...they were a strange colour, not their usual grey."

"You noticed that about him?"

I shrugged. "I'm a pretty observant person. That's how I've always been. I observe people, rather than talk with them. I've never had that many friends. And now I only have you and Hermione."

"And I'm sure Ron will be your friend too, when he gets to know you."

"Really?" He nodded, smiling. I smiled back. I felt so much better, telling someone that I knew would understand. I think I fell in love with Harry, right then. "So Harry, tell me, why were _you_ walking around the dungeons in the middle of the night?"

He looked a little embarrassed. "Well...er...I was trying to find the Slytherin dungeons, truthfully."

I looked puzzled. "What for?"

"You promise not to tell anyone?"

"Of course."

"Hermione, Ron and I...we're trying to find out if Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin."

"And how do you plan on doing that, exactly?"

"Using Polyjuice Potion to turn into Crabbe, Goyle, and a Slytherin girl. Then interrogating Malfoy to find out if it's him."

"Polyjuice Potion?"

"Yeah, it turns the drinker into whoever you add to it. It won't be ready until almost Christmas, though. It takes a month, at least, to make."

"I see..." I looked sceptical.

"I know...not one of the best plans." He conceded.

"Well, I can tell you already that it isn't Malfoy."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I asked him, right after Mrs. Norris was attacked. He seemed insulted that I would suggest such a thing, but almost mad that he didn't think of it himself."

"You can't trust anything he says, Raven."

"I know. So that's why I'm going to help you. A little, anyways."

"Help me?"

"Yeah. I'll show you where the entrance to our common room is. But I'm not sure what the password will be by then, so that's really all I can do for you."

"I understand. I can't imagine what it must be like, living in Slytherin House. I really can't ask anything thing else of you."

"You didn't ask, I offered. Besides, it's not so bad, living in Slytherin, if you have friends."

"Like who?"

"Like Blaise. And Theo and Pansy."

"Theo?"

"Yeah, Theodore Nott's nickname." Harry nodded.

"So they've all been nice to you?"

"Yeah, for the most part. Blaise especially."

"He seems to like you a lot." Harry said quietly, looking at the floor between us.

"Yeah...he does, doesn't he?"

"Do you like him?"

"You mean as more than a friend?" Harry nodded. "I think he's cute...but I haven't really thought about it, I guess. He seems to make me blush a lot though."

"You're probably really pretty when you blush," Harry said, then slapped a hand over his mouth, looking more embarrassed than I had ever seen someone. "I said that out loud, didn't I?" He looked apologetic.

Blushing, I nodded. "It's alright. I think...that maybe...we just feel really comfortable around each other? Do you know what I mean?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's a strange feeling. I feel like I can tell you anything." He scratched his ear. "Like that I was right."

"About what?"

"That you're really pretty when you blush." He said embarrassedly.

Blushing harder I'm sure, I mumbled a 'thanks' and said, "I wonder, have you noticed yet how much we look alike?"

Harry thought about it. "A little. I mean, that one day I bumped into you...I just remember thinking that looking at you was like looking in a mirror. Especially your eyes."

"I felt exactly the same way!"

"Really?" I nodded. Harry shook his head. "It really is a wonder that you were put in Slytherin, Raven."

"I know. I wonder about it all the time. Especially considering who killed my father." He nodded.

"I've never told anyone this..." Harry started, "but I was almost put in Slytherin."

I stared at him. "You're kidding!"

"Nope. The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin, but decided on Gryffindor instead."

"Wow...I wonder why?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well, I think Gryffindor suits you better, Harry."

"Thanks." He said, ruffling his already messy hair. His scar came into view.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I...Can I touch your scar?"

Harry looked at me intently for a moment. "Yes." He answered.

I got up on my knees to get closer to him. Placing my right hand on his arm to steady myself, I slowly reached forward with my left hand, leaning nearer to him. My fingertips touched his forehead, and Harry closed his eyes, relaxing. I traced the lightning-shaped scar, and when Harry opened his eyes, our gazes locked. I felt a jolt run through me and I jerked back, Harry doing the same, banging his head on the wall.

"Ow!" He exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.

"What was that?" I asked, bewildered.

Harry shook his head. "I have no idea. I just felt..."

"Linking...?" I whispered to myself, thinking hard about the feeling, and lightly rubbing my forehead above my right eyebrow.

"Something like that. I've never felt that from my scar before." He rubbed at his scar a little. "All it's ever done is itch and burn when Voldemort is nearby."

"What do you mean?" I asked, panicked.

"Voldemort was living off of our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell, last year. Like...a symbiotic organism or something...is that what they're called?" he asked.

"Yeah, something like that." I paused. "So he's not dead?"

"Voldemort?" Harry asked. I nodded. "No." He said resignedly. "Almost though." He glanced at his watch. "Oh wow. We've been talking for over an hour. We should really get to bed."

I yawned. "Yes, I suppose we should." We both stood, stretching, and then covered ourselves in the invisibility cloak. Harry nullified the silencing charm, while I whispered _nox_ to cancel the light spell. I saw a dot dance around my vision for a minute, and then Harry opened the door slowly, flooding torchlight into the small room. Looking around for anyone patrolling, we walked out into the hallway.

I took Harry's hand in mine, and led him towards the Slytherin dungeons. I felt so elated that Harry and I had talked, became friends...and shared so many things in common. It was so strange...it felt like we were meant to know each other. But I didn't really want Hermione or Ron to know about it. Not yet. He would be my secret friend.

Once we reached the entrance to the dungeons, I turned to Harry. "This is the wall that will lead you to our common room. You should be able to get back to the entrance hall if you go down that corridor, turn right, then left and up the stairs. The passage down to this corridor is kind of obscure, I know I've passed by it a few times, so I hope you find it again." I whispered to him.

He nodded, "Thanks, Raven."

"No problem." I hesitated for a moment. "Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you...can we be..._secret_ friends?" I looked at him hopefully.

"Secret friends?" I nodded and he smiled. "I don't see why not. I'd like that. I won't tell Ron or Hermione. Not until you want to." I smiled.

"Thank you, Harry. For all that you've done."

"I don't mind."

Before he even had time to blink, I reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, Harry."

Dazed, he said, "'Night." And then I left the safety of the invisibility cloak and opened the entrance to my common room. I quickly went inside, casting a quick glance out into the hall, but saw nothing. Moving inside, I went straight to bed, where I promptly fell to sleep. It was the best I had slept all week.

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**SmileyFace3, Vanderleigh, dalas-free4all, and Tigerfanfrv:** Thanks for reviewing you guys! Please, keep reading! 

**PinkKangaroo:** Thanks for all your comments! And yep, I live in Seattle now...maybe we should hook up. And yes, I suppose Draco is actually capable of caring...sometimes. :)

**PurpleHaze:** Thank you for loving my story. I think you've reviewed more than anybody! And yes...I know her perspective on things is a little older...but you'll find out why later. Also...I'm a twenty-one year old trying to think like an eleven year old...not exactly the easiest thing. Although...I was pretty mature growing up...oh well. Thanks for reading! And I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Tabari Avaren:** To be completely honest, I'm surprised you noticed something like that or took the time to look into that. I'm working off of the information I've found on J.K. Rowling's site and the books, and I've never seen any mention of any particular time period. And I _believe_ I used the date from when the first book was published, which was 1997. Anyway, I hope that doesn't deter you from reading the rest of my story.

**Anakah:** You know...you've actually given me an idea about Raven's family history...yay! I like getting ideas. I'm glad you think so highly of my story! I live off of ideas...it's those little things that fill in the holes in my story...I have most of everything laid out...but there's long stretches of time I don't know what to do with. Like how exactly to round off Raven's first year at Hogwarts...

Thanks everyone for reading! Please review!


	10. The Angels Were Holding Hands

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only Raven and her family and background. And this story. Yeah.

Summary: This is a girl's quest to find out just why she was placed in a house with people she hates. A witch, raised as a muggle, finds out about her family history. Unexpectedly, she is inducted into Slytherin House, and is doing everything in her power to find out why.

**Chapter Notes: **_This chapter contains a scene from 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.' (You'll all know which one.) **However**, the only thing that is from the books is the dialogue, which is the sole property of J.K. Rowling and affiliates, and I am in no way trying to steal from her. The descriptions are of my own creation. But I make up for using the book scene by making this an extra long chapter…it's almost twice as long as any of the others! Hopefully you will all like it, and I can't wait to hear your comments._

_Does anybody ever read this part? It's awfully important…_

_Anyway, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to tell me. I'll try to accommodate as best I can.** (I really like ideas... :)**_

Please review; I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant it.)

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**The Angels Were Holding Hands**

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For the next month, things had become rather humdrum. I hadn't talked to Harry since that night, but we stole the occasional glance from across the Great Hall or while passing each other in the corridor. I had a hard time trying not to smile when I saw him, because I knew I would give myself away. Jesse Jameson asked me once what I was grinning at, as we made our way to Charms one day, but I just made up a lie that I was thinking about Blaise. 

Speaking of which, Blaise was becoming more attentive than before, after my little episode on the common room floor. He always seemed to be looking at me; like he was making sure that I wasn't going to collapse on him all of a sudden. I kept telling him that I was fine, and that I had probably only been sleep walking. I could tell he didn't believe me. Oh well.

Draco hadn't spoken to me, for which I was grateful. I really didn't know how I would react, if he said anything to me, even if it was just to borrow a quill. He kept his distance, only coming near me when social protocol asked for it. And even then, he never spoke to me, just gave me the occasional unreadable glance. It was annoying, really, seeing him look at me, and not having a clue what he was thinking about. I just tried to act normal, which was much easier; now that I knew I had both Harry and Hermione to turn to.

I finally wrote to Hermione, telling her how sorry I was for not staying in touch, as well as telling her what I had found out about my family. She wrote back immediately, letting me know that it was alright that I hadn't written back, that she understood that my situation was rather limiting. She also expressed her opinion of the information I had given her, in a way that seemed very much _not Hermione._ I laughed at her colourful use of words, and wrote her a short note reassuring her that I would be fine, and that Draco didn't seem to be talking.

About a week into December, I received a letter from my mum, explaining that I wouldn't be able to come home for Christmas because a client for her sewing business needed her in Switzerland, and she couldn't afford to bring me along. She even thought ahead of me and told me that she forbade me from using my wizard money to try and pay my own way; that I needed to save it for school. Slightly depressed, I signed up to stay over the Winter Holiday, and learned later that Draco was going to as well. I sent a short note to Harry, telling him of this new development. Hopefully, their Polyjuice Potion would be ready by then.

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_Dear Father,_

_Thank you very much for your assistance in my inquisition. Your information was enlightening. However, I have chosen to do nothing with it at the current time, for reasons directly concerning my inquiry._

_I would like to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, if that is acceptable with you and Mum. I have information that my inquiry is staying as well, and would like the chance to observe her in better detail before I do anything with the information you provided me._

_If I do not see you, have a Happy Christmas._

_Your Son,_

_Draco_

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When I saw the sign for the Duelling Club, I was just as excited as any other student to go. I watched everything unfold with wide eyes. Lockhart, of course, was entertaining; he obviously had no idea what he was doing. I silently cheered Professor Snape on as he blasted Lockhart off of his feet with the Disarming Charm. 

When it came time for partners, I cast a worried glance at Harry when he was paired with Draco. I had been paired up with Donnie, who always seemed indifferent to the fact that I was a girl, but was nice anyway, and let me disarm him first. Not that I wanted to be treated any different, but the boys in my class either didn't care, and treated me like one of the guys, or were super nice to me and walked over themselves to treat me like a girl. It was sad, really.

When Draco sicked that snake on Harry, I wasn't sure what would happen, and was secretly murdering Draco in my head. But then Harry said something strange. It sounded like hissing, and the snake was moving closer to a Hufflepuff I didn't know. Everyone stood rooted to the spot, terrified. _Was Harry _talking_ to that snake?_ It sure seemed like it. Then the snake turned docile, as Harry kept hissing angrily at it.

The Hufflepuff glared at Harry. "What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted, and then left the hall. I saw Ron and Hermione drag Harry out a minute later. I turned to Donnie.

"What was that all about?"

Donnie had a dark look on his face. "Potter's a Parselmouth. I can't believe it."

"What's that?" _That sounds awfully familiar…_

"He can talk to snakes. He _must_ be the Heir of Slytherin then." Blaise came up to us.

"Did you _see_ that? Potter can speak Parseltongue. The only other wizard known for that was Salazar Slytherin himself." _Oh._

_This _can't_ be good._

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And then a few days later, that Hufflepuff, Justin Finch-Fletchley, along with Nearly-Headless Nick, were attacked. And everyone was jumping at the chance to go home for the holidays. And I was stuck here. With Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and few older boys. I would be the only Slytherin girl. I even thought of giving my hair to Hermione to use for the Polyjuice Potion, but decided against it; it would have blown Harry's and my cover. 

My only consolation was that Harry, Hermione and Ron would be staying too, and that I would hopefully be able to see them interrogating Draco. I couldn't wait. Especially since he had been in such a foul mood, ever since people were naming Harry the Heir of Slytherin.

And when people kept whispering that Harry _was_ the Heir of Slytherin, I just shook my head. _No. He just couldn't be._ Regardless of the evidence against him, I just _knew_ that Harry wasn't the heir of Slytherin…it was like an instinctive knowledge I had.

And then Christmas Day had finally come, and with that, presents. In the Slytherin common room, there was a large Christmas tree set up, glittering with lights and bobbles, with the Slytherin presents under it. We all took turns opening our presents, drinking hot cocoa or hot cider and eating various cookies and sweets. It was a quiet morning, and we hardly spoke a word to one another, seeing as I didn't know any of the other Slytherins, and really didn't care to know them. Crabbe and Goyle hardly ever speak to anyone other than Draco, and Draco and I weren't speaking to each other.

My mum had sent me some Swiss chocolate and book called _The History of Magic in Eastern Europe._ Blaise had given me a silver bracelet with bright green jade pieces set into it; Theo gave me a set of bookends shaped like dragons for my large collection of books, and Pansy gave me a beautiful full-length mirror to hang up in my room. She was rather vain, that girl. But I liked her.

I had also received a few gifts from the Gryffindors. Hermione secretly sent me a bookmark; one for every schoolbook and then some-she remembered that I liked to read. She disguised it as a present from a made-up friend from my childhood named Harmony. She was a clever girl, that one. And Harry secretly sent me a card saying that I'd get my present the following evening, and to meet him in the same room we talked in at 11p.m. He used Hermione's same idea (I'm assuming she told him what she was sending me and how,) using the name Harriet. I shook my head at their antics. It was quite fun actually, trying to fool everybody.

But I got another present I wasn't expecting. And I had no idea who it was from. There was no note, and no indication of who might have sent it. It was a snow globe, in which the snow was always magically falling. There were two moving figures in it, a man and a woman, who looked an awful lot like my parents. They twirled and danced in the snow, and would sometimes look up at me and wave. And when you wound the switch, it played a tinkling lullaby that I had never heard before.

"Mum…Dad…" I whispered, as I watched the figures dance. Crabbe and Goyle glanced over at me, pausing from stuffing their faces with goodies, but I paid no attention to them. I looked up at Draco, and straight into his grey eyes. He looked coolly back, but a small furrow was forming between his brows. Like he was worried about something. Dropping my gaze, I quickly gathered my gifts and went to my room.

_It had to be Draco…it just _had_ to be. Who else would send me a gift like that? What is he trying to do? Shove it in my face?_ I sighed heavily. _Bloody hell. I've got to get out of here._ I dressed quickly and nearly ran out of the common room to wander the school a bit.

Eventually, it was time for the Christmas feast, and although the meal and the teachers were wonderful, the company at my table wasn't. Draco kept making loud and rude comments about the sweater Harry was wearing. I thought it was a wonderful sweater. Someone obviously spent a lot of time on it, and it showed. It was a green that was a little darker than his eyes, but it still fit him perfectly.

After the dinner, the other Slytherins and I left Crabbe and Goyle in the Great Hall, where they were still having their third desserts, and went down to our common room. When we arrived, the other students went to their room under the pretences of changing into something comfortable, and I went into my room and grabbed my new book and the snow globe. It was time Draco and I had a little talk.

I went over to the table next to the bookshelves and set my book down. Then I walked over to Draco, who was reading something in one of the armchairs, lounging lazily.

"Draco, why did you send me this?" I held up the snow globe.

Looking annoyed, he stopped reading his letter to look up at me. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb, Draco. I _know_ you sent this. Who else could it have been?"

He looked disinterestedly back down to his letter. "So what if I did?"

"Are you _trying_ to shove it in my face? That I can't ever have a happy family? That I'll _never_ have a father?"

Sighing, he set whatever he was reading down on the coffee table and stood to face me. "No. I was _trying_ to give you something nice, to remember them by."

"Why? I don't understand you, Draco. You hate muggles. You hate Mudbloods, like my father. You even hate half-bloods, like me. Why do something nice?"

He spoke in a tight voice, a pointed look on his face. "Because, Raven. It's different with you. I can't hate you. I've tried. Believe me, I've tried. And I just can't." He sighed. "Look, if you don't like the gift, fine. But I…" He shook his head, the sneer back on his face. "It's not that I pity you. Or even like you. In fact, I really don't like you at all. You annoy the hell out of me. I'm just trying to be nice for once in my life. Because what I did to you wasn't. The fact is, that you were put in Slytherin for some reason that only Merlin knows, and I can't change that, no matter how much I want to. So I'll be as civil as I can. This is the only thing you can expect from me. A gift to show my regret for how I told you about your family. Other than that, we're still enemies. But I'm not planning on telling anyone about your family. Not until it suits my purpose." And with that, he grabbed his letter and went to his room, only to come out a minute later with a grin on his face, heading straight for the door, leaving me alone in the common room.

I was confused beyond all hell. "What on earth?" I shook my head. "He's nutters. Absolutely insane." His thought process was beyond me. It's like he wanted to be nice, but just couldn't. He didn't even sound as snide as usual. I felt that there was something more to him…but perhaps he didn't even know what yet.

I sat down to start reading my new book, but really I was staring at the snow globe. I realized that I had a question to ask Draco about how it was made. I shrugged. I guess I would ask him when he got back. Then the other Slytherins came out and sat down in a few of the armchairs in front of the fire.

Draco arrived a few minutes later with Crabbe and Goyle, who looked rather nervous for some reason. It took a minute of looking at their posture, but eventually, I realized that it was actually Harry and Ron. _I wonder where Hermione is?_ I shifted in my seat, so I could watch the interrogation, but still look like I was reading my book.

"Wait here, I'll go and get it—my father's just sent it to me—" Draco said, motioning the two boys into chairs set back from the fire. They sat down, and I tried to not laugh, but it was so hard. It was obvious to me, at least, that these two boys were _way_ too fidgety to be Crabbe and Goyle. _I wonder which one is which?_ I thought.

Draco came back and thrust a piece of paper underneath Crabbe's nose. "That'll give you a laugh," he said. Crabbe read it, gave a forced laugh, and then gave it to Goyle who just stared at it. _I wonder what it could be about?_

"Well? Don't you think it's funny?" Draco asked impatiently. Goyle forced a miserable laugh as well. "Arthur Weasley loves muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and go join them. You'd never know the Weasleys were pure-bloods, the way they behave." Draco said scornfully. _What's wrong with loving all human kind, you prat?_

Then I saw Crabbe turn very angry. _That must be Ron, which means Harry's Goyle._ "What's up with you, Crabbe?" Draco snapped.

"Stomachache," he grunted.

"Well, go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me," Draco said, snickering. "You know, I'm surprised the _Daily Prophet_ hasn't reported all these attacks yet. I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father's always said old Dumbledore's the worst thing that's ever happened to this place. He loves Muggle-borns. A decent headmaster would never've let slime like that Creevey in." Draco started miming Colin, saying: "'Potter, can I have your picture, Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter?'" Then he dropped his hands. "What's the _matter _with you two?" He said to Crabbe and Goyle, and I couldn't help it; I started snickering from behind my book. Draco was just _so_ dense. _Honestly._

Crabbe and Goyle then started laughing a bit, and that seemed to satisfy Draco, because he started talking again. It was like he loved to hear himself speak, rather than have _actual_ conversation. "Saint Potter, the Mudbloods' friend. He's another one with no proper wizard feeling, or he wouldn't go around with that jumped up Granger Mudblood." _Hey! That's Hermione you're talking about, you arse!_ "And people think _he's_ Slytherin's heir!" _I don't. And apparently, neither do you. That's the only thing we'll ever agree on, Draco._

"I _wish_ I knew who it _is_," Draco said impatiently. "I could help them." He cast a sideways glance at me, and I just glared back through my bangs. _Yes, Draco…I'm listening._

"You must have some idea who's behind it all…" Goyle said. _Good thinking Harry…just go out and ask…_

"You know I haven't, Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you?" Draco snapped. "And Father won't tell me _anything_ about the last time the Chamber was opened either. Of course, it was fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, an he says that it was all kept quiet and it'll look suspicious if I know too much about it. But I know one thing—last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood _died._ So I bet it's a matter of time before one of them's killed this time…I hope it's Granger." _I'll kill you first, Malfoy, you bloody arsehole._

"D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?" Goyle asked quickly.

"Oh yeah…whoever it was was expelled. They're probably still in Azkaban."

"Azkaban?" Goyle asked, confused.

"Azkaban—_the wizard prison,_ Goyle. Honestly, if you were any slower, you'd be going backward." Draco shifted a bit. "Father says to keep my head down and let the Heir of Slytherin get on with it. He says the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth, but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he's got a lot on his plate at the moment. You know the Ministry of Magic raided our manor last week? Yeah…Luckily, they didn't find much. Father's got some _very_ valuable Dark Arts stuff, but luckily, we've got our own secret chamber under the drawing-room floor—"

"Ho!" Crabbe exclaimed. Although I couldn't see Draco's face, I could tell that he was puzzled at Crabbe's exclamation. And then I saw a slight change in the colour of Crabbe's hair. Both Crabbe and Goyle jumped up, Crabbe grunting something about medicine, and then they ran from the common room. _Yep, no doubt about it, that was Ron and Harry…_

Draco stood up, and when I saw the puzzled look on his face, I burst out laughing. Draco whirled to face me, and the other Slytherins turned to look at me as well. "What's so funny, Raven?" Draco spat.

I shook my head. "Oh nothing…just reading about some wizard from Yugoslavia who was stupid enough to fall for an obvious trick and was humiliated in front of his friends and enemies." Which was completely untrue of course…I hadn't the slightest idea what was in the chapter I was reading…I was too caught up listening to Draco's conversation that I forgot to read. _I wonder if he'll catch my meaning…let's hope not._ Chuckling, I gathered my things and went to my room, where I spent most of my time quietly giggling before I finally went to bed. I couldn't wait to see Harry the next night.

* * *

And the next night really couldn't come quick enough. My day was fun, but later, after dinner, the wait for eleven was terrible. 

I had spent a few hours outside; enjoying the quiet, snow covered view before the other Slytherins came out and started a snowball fight. Even Draco had fun pelting Crabbe and Goyle, although for the most part, they were just acting as his shield against the older Slytherins. I just sat by the entrance, watching as they built little snow forts and enacted in a battle: the younger Slytherins versus the older.

"Hey Raven!" Goyle shouted. "We need another person! Will you come play?" I looked at him oddly. When had he ever talked to me? I was surprised he even knew my name. Shrugging, I thought, "Why the hell not?" And I got up and plodded over to their massive fort, as it was big enough to hide both Crabbe and Goyle.

Immediately, it was warfare, and with Crabbe and Goyle on our side, we weren't doing too badly. Draco and I hid behind the two boys, and followed up on their attacks. Of course, our snowballs weren't nearly as big, and I really couldn't throw very far, but we tried.

Soon, we were all exhausted, and Crabbe and Goyle went inside for lunch. I walked a little ways away and flopped back on a patch of fresh snow. I looked up into the grey sky and watched the snow fall down from above, feeling the cool flakes melt on my face.

"What're you doing?" I heard Draco ask from somewhere near my feet.

"Watching the snow."

"Why?"

"Because I want to, is there something wrong with that?"

There was a pregnant pause. "No, I suppose not."

I lay there a moment longer, very aware of Draco's gaze on me. And when I got tired of waiting for him to leave, I just started moving my arms and legs in the snow.

"_Now_ what are you doing?" I stopped and sighed.

Lifting my head up, I asked, "Do you _always_ have to know everything?"

"Generally, yes."

Putting my head back down, I started moving my arms and legs again. "Well, for your _information_ Draco, I'm making a snow angel."

"A what?"

"Oh, goodness." I huffed. I stopped and sat up slightly, holding out my hand. "Help me up. I'll show you." Draco hesitated for a moment, but then took my hand in his and tugged me to my feet. I turned around and stood next to him, facing my work in the snow. "See? Look at the outline. It's an angel. And it's in the snow, so hence, a snow angel."

He studied it and moment, cocking his head. "I see." Then he looked at me. "Can you show me how to make one?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Sure…" I gestured to a blank patch of snow next to my angel. "Lay down right there." Draco walked over and copied what I had done, flopping back into the snow. Only his snow was a bit deeper than mine, and he wound up getting it all over his face. I burst out laughing. "No! Don't move, I'll wipe it off for you." I walked around him and up near his head. Leaning down, I wiped the powdery white substance off of his face with my mitten. "Sorry about that. Sometimes it's hard to tell how deep the snow is. At least you're wearing a hat." I smiled. He scowled back up at me. "Hey, I said I was sorry!" Then I moved back to Draco's feet.

"Ok, now all you have to do is move your arms up and down as if you were waving them. Like this," and I showed him. He mimicked me. "Good. Now you have to move your legs too, spreading them apart and then back together again. You only have to do it a few times to get it." He did as I said. "Ok, now you can get up and look at it." I helped him to his feet.

Turning to look at it, he said, "Not bad for my first one, eh?"

I shook my head. "Nope, not bad at all."

Draco looked at me sideways. "You're odd, you know that?"

"And only _you_ know why." I said ruefully.

"Indeed."

"Well, I'm hungry, let's go back inside and warm up."

He nodded. "Ok." Then we turned and started walking back to the entrance. We met up with the other Slytherins who were still outside, and when I turned around to look back at what Draco and I had done, I noticed something strange.

It looked like the angels were holding hands.

* * *

Finally, night had come. I had spent the afternoon _actually_ reading my new book, and drinking cider. Lounging around a nearly empty common room had its perks. I had one corner of the room to myself. I wasn't even bothered by the games the others were playing at the other end. 

But much later, shortly after we had come back from dinner, I snuck out of the common room under the pretences of visiting the library. "Don't wait up for me!" I called back to the boys. Hopefully, when I was gone past midnight, they would just assume that I was engrossed in some books, regardless of the fact that the library was generally closed that late at night. It really wasn't all that uncommon to find me reading in some random classroom or corridor in the dungeons, especially when I wanted to get away from Slytherin House and have no one bother me. Of course, I nearly lost house points every time I was caught, but Professor Snape would just roll his eyes and say, "Just be happy it was I that found you and not someone else. Now get back to your common room."

This time though, I never went to the library, I went straight to the room Harry and I met in. I sat in the dark room, with the door just barely ajar, waiting. Actually, I was there almost an hour early, so when the door seemingly opened and closed on it's own a good fifteen minutes before eleven, I tried not to panic, seeing as I was now blind.

"Harry?" I whispered into the dark.

"Yeah, it's me." I breathed a sigh of relief. I quickly cast _lumos_ on my wand, and was blinded again by the bright light. Harry was standing in front of me, the invisibility cloak in this left hand, and a wrapped package in his right. Setting his cloak down, he took out his wand and cast a silencing charm on the room again. Then he sat down in front of me.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Good. You?"

"I'm good. I got you something." He smiled, handing the package to me.

"Thank you, Harry. I'm sorry to say that I didn't get you or Hermione anything. Yet. I couldn't think of what to get you guys." I added.

"It's alright. You don't need to get me anything."

"Oh, but I want to." I looked at him for a moment, thinking. "What size do you wear?" I asked.

Harry looked puzzled. "I…don't really know, actually."

Now I looked puzzled. "You don't?" He shook his head. "Oh, honestly, let me look at the tag on your shirt." He leaned forward, and I un-tucked the tag from his collar. "Medium. Ok. I'll let Mum know."

"Why?"

"You'll see when you get it." I smiled secretly. Then I looked down to my package. "Do you want me to open it now?"

"Of course. Go ahead."

I untied the twine around the box, and slowly undid the brown packaging paper. Inside was a green leather-bound journal and a fine black quill. "Oh, Harry, they're beautiful. Thank you," I leaned forward and hugged him.

"You're welcome. Hermione told me you like to read, so I thought maybe you might like to write as well. The journal is charmed so that only you can read it, unless you want someone else to, so you can use it like a diary if you wish. The quill's really special, though. When you hold it, it takes imprints of your memories, even parts that you can't consciously remember, so when you use it to write down your thoughts, it will write exactly how the memory was imprinted in your brain. Plus you can add thoughts about what you've written. You'll always have your full memories written down. People use them to write their memoirs."

"Wow…Harry, that's amazing. It must have been really expensive. Thank you so much. Really. I love it."

He shrugged. "From one secret friend to another." I smiled.

"So what did you get for Christmas? Other than that sweater Draco was going on about. _I _think it's a lovely sweater. Who gave it to you?"

"Mrs. Weasley, along with a plum cake."

"Oh, I _love_ plum cake!"

He nodded. "I also got a luxury eagle feather quill from Hermione, a book about Ron's favourite Quidditch team, the Cannons, from Ron, and a tin of treacle fudge from Hagrid. Oh, and the Dursleys sent me a toothpick." He said sarcastically.

"Are those the muggles you live with during the summer?" He nodded. "I wish you could stay with me. I'm sure Mum would love to have you. But we have a reputation to uphold, huh?"

"Yeah, we do." Harry sighed. "So, how about you? What did you get for Christmas?"

"Oh, Mum gave me some Swiss chocolate and a book on the history of magic in Eastern Europe, and Blaise got me this pretty bracelet, see?" I showed it to him, but he just nodded, a troubled look growing on his face. Moving on I said, "Theo got me some bookends, and Pansy got me a full-length mirror to put in my room. I swear, she thinks no girl should be without one." Harry nodded, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere. "Harry, is there something wrong? You turned troubled when I showed you the bracelet Blaise gave me."

He smiled a little. "I'm ok, really. I just…I'm just afraid that you're getting too close to some of the Slytherins. I'm afraid it might turn out badly."

I thought for a moment. "I…I think I know what you mean, but really Harry, I can't just pretend to hate them all. That would be even more dangerous. Besides, some of them are actually not bad people. They just come from less-than-desirable families."

"I know." He said resignedly. "But…I saw something interesting this morning. That kind of bothered me."

"Really? What?"

"You and Malfoy. Playing in the snow."

Oh.

"I saw you from Gryffindor tower. Did something happen between you two?" Harry asked, the troubled look still on his face.

"Yes and no." I answered, biting my lip. I really couldn't keep anything from him. It was like lying to your twin.

"Why don't you tell me what's happened in the last month."

I sighed. "Well, nothing really. The first time I've talked to Draco for about a month was last night."

"And what did you say to him?"

"I asked him…about something. He…also gave me a gift."

Harry looked alarmed. "What was it?"

"It was a snow globe. It has two people dancing in the snow together, and waving at me. They look just like my parents did when they were younger."

"And why did he give you something like that?" Harry did _not_ like this at all, I thought. He really looked like he was getting angry.

"He said that he was trying to do something nice for once. Because what he did to me when he told me about my family wasn't."

"It sounds like a load of rubbish, to me. You should get rid of it."

I was taken aback. "But I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because…well…regardless of who gave it to me, it's a very nice gift, Harry. I'm sorry, but I really don't think I can just throw it away."

Harry sat for a moment, studying my face. Then he sighed. "I…understand, actually. I would probably keep something like that too." We sat for a moment in silence. "So what _was_ going on with you and Malfoy today? Did you guys call a truce or something?"

"Oh. No, we didn't. We're still enemies. But Goyle asked for my help against the older Slytherins today in a snowball fight. So I helped them, then went to lie in the snow for a while. And Draco kept asking me what I was doing, especially when I started to make a snow angel. He asked me to show him, so I did. That was it really. Nothing more." Harry quirked an eyebrow.

"Did you notice what the snow angels looked like afterwards?" He asked.

"You mean that they looked like they were holding hands?"

"Yeah."

"You could see that from up there?" He nodded.

"I saw everything, I just couldn't hear." I nodded an 'oh.'

"So you think that I'm acting too friendly with Draco?" I asked Harry.

"Yes, I do. But I suppose I'm just being over-protective. I just worry about you, is all." My heart warmed at hearing those words.

"By the way," I said, "I saw you last night. You and Ron."

Harry looked puzzled for a moment. "Oh, yeah. As Crabbe and Goyle." I nodded. "I saw you too, sitting in the corner, reading."

"Well, I was _trying _to read, but I was having too hard a time trying not to laugh. It was so funny. I mean, _I_ could tell that you were too fidgety to be those two oafs, but Draco…gods, is he dense."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, we fooled him pretty well, didn't we?"

I laughed too. "Yeah, you did. So where was Hermione?"

"Oh. She…um…well, she got some hair off of Millicent Bulstrode. But…it was cat's hair. And the Polyjuice Potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations."

"Oh…so she's in the infirmary, huh?" Harry nodded, mirth in his eyes. "I was wondering why she wasn't at the meals today."

"Yeah, she'll probably be there until after term starts, actually."

"That's too bad. She probably hates missing school."

"Yes, actually, she does." There was another long pause, before Harry spoke again. "Raven…I've been thinking about that…connection or something that happened last time…"

"Yeah?"

"And…there are times when I feel something…weird, inside me, but separate. It's hard to explain."

I sat for a minute, thinking. "I…think I know what you're talking about. Except…you know when everyone started calling you the Heir of Slytherin?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I'm not sure why, but I just _knew_ that you aren't. Like I was you, like I knew that I wasn't the heir of Slytherin, meaning you aren't the Heir of Slytherin, you know?"

"I think so. Maybe something _did_ happen between us."

"Maybe. But what?"

"I don't know. But I keep thinking that maybe that's why I feel so comfortable around you…even more so than before. Like…I can talk to you about anything. Is that weird?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't think so. I've always felt that way about you."

"Always?" he asked and I nodded. "I just felt strange when I couldn't talk to you for all that time. I'm really glad to see you again."

"Me too." I said. We sat in companionable silence for a few moments, just looking at each other. "Hm…well, I should probably get back. It'll be easier for the guys to miss me because there are only a few of us." Harry nodded.

"So, when will I get my present?" He asked mischievously, standing up.

I held out my hand to him. "I'll let you know when we can meet again. Until then, you'll just have to wait." He pulled me onto my feet. We both got under the cloak and left the room, removing spells as we went.

When we got to the entrance to my common room, Harry held me back a minute before I left him. "Just…promise me you'll be careful, Raven. I'd hate to think of what could happen to you," he whispered, giving me a warm hug.

I hugged him back, fiercely. "I will. I promise. You just worry about your own problems, ok?"

"Like finding the Heir of Slytherin?"

"Yeah. But I'll try to help you as much as I can, too." He nodded. "Goodnight, Harry. Thanks again for the gift."

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Raven."

I left the invisibility cloak, entering the Slytherin common room and going straight to my room. The boys were still up talking around the fire. When I was halfway across the common room, however, Draco asked, "What's that you got, Raven?"

"Oh, my mum sent me another package. It seems she found something else she'd thought I'd like," I lied. Then I set off again, wanting to get in a good chance of using my new gift before I went to bed. _This lying thing is getting _way _too easy. _

That was when I started writing down my memories. And I would continue to do so, during all my time at Hogwarts, until I finally started compiling them into this book.

* * *

**Lady/Queen Thayet:** Thanks for reviewing. And I made that correction you asked about. Maybe I need a beta…I don't always quite catch everything, even though I read everything like fifty times before I submit it…And I did mean 'phials.' It's the same thing, really. But please, keep reading! 

**PinkKangaroo:** I'm liking Seattle a lot, actually. Thanks for asking. And there might be something you don't know about Raven and Harry…;)

**Raisa:** Hmm…Malfoy…is…a complicated character. Let's just leave it at that for now. :D And as for Harry and Raven…well, I've been toying with a few ideas, but we'll just have to see how it works with everything else I have in mind for later. Thanks for reading!

**SmileyFace3:** I'm glad you liked the 'Secret Friends' idea. That was one of the very first ideas that I had for this story…I just had to get there first! lol Thanks you so much for reading!

Thanks everyone for reading! Please review!


	11. Boys Are Obnoxious, Pratty, PainsintheAr...

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only Raven and her family and background. And this story. Yeah.

**Chapter Notes: **_Hello! I don't think I have anything to say about this chapter…except that I really enjoyed writing the scene between Raven and Draco…And before I get any reviews telling me that he's not acting like himself…**I know.** I've written him that way when he's around Raven for a reason. And it will all come to bear fruit…somewhere around Raven's sixth year. That's all I can say. :D _

_Anyway, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to tell me. I'll try to accommodate as best I can.** (I really like ideas... :)**_

Please review; I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant it.)

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**Boys Are Obnoxious, Pratty, Pains-in-the-Arse**

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A day before term started, everyone who was gone for the holiday returned, and the castle suddenly came alive again. I wanted to retreat into my room, but Blaise wouldn't let me, so I was forced to remain in the crowded common room.

"So," he said in my ear, "did you like your present?"

"Oh yes, Blaise. It's beautiful. See?" I showed him my left wrist, "I haven't taken it off since I got it." He grinned brightly.

"I'm glad."

I turned to Theo and Pansy. "And thank you for your gifts as well. I hope you liked what I got you." They all nodded. For Blaise, I had gotten him a bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and magical silver hair die. I got Pansy a couple sets of pink hair barrettes, and I got Theo a poster of his favourite Quidditch team, the Phantoms.

Then term started again and life went on.

On Valentine's Day, Professor Lockhart decided it might be fun to interrupt everyone's classes with singing Valentines from dwarfs. That man is absolutely bonkers.

When I got back to the common room that night, I went straight to my room to start on my homework; avoiding the common room that had already been filled with people, and there were even a few couples making out on the sofas. _Bleck. Who wants to watch that…get a room._

I had just started on my potions homework when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

"Raven?" I turned around.

"Blaise. Hi. What's up?" He closed the door behind him and kept his hands behind his back. He held his gaze on the floor.

"I uh…wanted to give you something."

"Oh? What is it?" I stood. He walked over to me and presented me with a single red rose.

"For you. Happy Valentine's Day."

"Oh Blaise, it's beautiful. Thank you." I held the blossom to my nose and inhaled.

"I would have liked to put a charm on it so that it wouldn't wilt, but couldn't find one in time."

"Oh, that's ok. I still love it."

He bit his bottom lip. "You're welcome." Then he bent and gave me a short but sweet kiss on the cheek, leaving before I could utter a word.

Touching my cheek, I returned to my desk, placing the rose on it, off to the side. Grinning, I set about to finishing my homework, but found I was distracted, so I went to bed. I had dreams full of soft smiles, warm hugs, and sweet kisses. Who they were from, however, was a mystery.

* * *

When Harry and Hermione's presents came in, I sent Hermione's to her with a note, and sent Harry a note telling him to meet me that night in our special meeting place. 

For Hermione, I asked Mum to make her a blue summer dress, for when it got too hot out to wear robes. My mum seemed to know just what I wanted, and the dress turned out lovely. It was made of a light fabric with different shades of blue swirling all around. It was sleeveless and was no longer than just below her knee, if I got her height right.

For Harry, I asked her if she could make him a dress shirt. The shirt was a dark forest green, with a small pattern of griffins embroidered with silver thread into the fabric, which was Chinese silk. It was also sleeveless, with a Chinese collar and frog closures going across the shoulder. It was exactly how I imagined it would be. Granted, it was in Slytherin colours, but for some reason, I really couldn't imagine Harry in a red shirt like this.

That night, when I got into the room, Harry was already there. When he saw me, he immediately pulled me into a hug, as if he hadn't seen me in a few months.

"Harry…Harry, is there something wrong?" I asked over his shoulder, hugging him back.

"Yes…no…I just…I've been finding out some really awful stuff about the attacks, and I just needed…" He sighed heavily.

"It's ok. I understand. We're friends, right? Friends help each other out. Now why don't you tell me about it?" I pulled away and went to sit down against the wall, Harry right next to me. I held onto his hand for moral support.

"Well…Ron and I, we found a diary in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. It's from fifty years ago, and it belonged to a boy called Tom Marvolo Riddle. But the diary was blank. And then when a singing valentine broke one of my inkbottles yesterday, all of my other books were drenched in red ink, but the diary was fine. So I started writing in it. _And it wrote back._ It was Tom…inside the diary." Harry pulled his knees up to his chest, taking a deep breath. "I asked him about the Chamber of Secrets, and he wouldn't tell me, but he showed me something. Something bad. Raven, I think Hagrid was the one that opened the Chamber fifty years ago. I think Hagrid killed that muggle-born. And I don't want to believe it, but…I mean…it just _can't_ be Hagrid! Sure, he likes to keep monsters, but he wouldn't hurt a fly! I just _can't_ believe it!" He buried his face in arms, which were now crossed over his bent knees.

"Shh…Harry, it's ok." I started rubbing his back. "I'm sure there's another side to the story. Why don't you ask Hagrid? If he was at school back then, maybe he can tell you something more about what happened." Harry nodded.

"Hermione suggested that too."

"Well, for now, cheer up! I've brought you your present!" I held out a package to him.

He raised his head and smiled weakly. "Really?"

"Yep. Sorry it took so long…Mum was rather busy with her sewing and baking businesses."

"So what exactly did your mum do?" He asked, taking the package.

"Open it. You'll see."

He untied the ribbon on the box, and lifted off the cover. I held my wand up so he could see better.

"Wow…Raven…this is really nice…I'm not really sure I'll ever get a chance to wear it…"

"Oh, I'm sure you will. You can use it for a costume party, or a date or something." He blushed, taking the shirt out of the box.

"Who says I'm going to be dating?"

"I do. I'm your friend, and I insist that you start dating at some point in your life." I stood up, placing my wand in the corner so the light filled the whole room. "Ok, now try it on."

"What? Here? Now?"

"Yes, silly. I want to see how it fits." I held out my hand to help him up. "You can keep your undershirt on if you like, but I think you'll like it better if you put it directly on your skin."

"Ok…" he conceded. "But will you turn around?" I rolled my eyes, but complied.

"Boys."

After a few minutes of the sound of moving cloth, Harry told me it was ok to turn around.

"Oh, Harry! It's perfect! My mum really did a good job, didn't she?"

Harry looked embarrassedly down at himself. "Yes, she did. Am I wearing it right? I feel a little goofy."

I looked at him, calculatingly. "Don't be silly, you look great. But let me fix the closures." I fiddled with his shoulder a minute, then stepped back. "Yes. Perfect." And it was. His arms were just starting to look muscular, so the sleeveless factor was a good thing. The fabric fit his torso just right, not too snug but not too loose. The hem went about five inches past the waist of his pants, which was exactly where it should be. "Mum told me that she put a charm on it, so if you grow out of if it, it will resize to fit you. Neat, huh?"

"Yeah…it's really, really nice, Raven. Thank you."

"You're welcome. So, how does it feel?"

"It feels…silky." I laughed.

"Well, that's good, considering it's silk. Ok, enough of torturing you. You can take it off now if you want."

"No, I think I'll keep it on for a while."

"That works for me," I said, sitting down. He sat down next to me.

"So how was your Valentine's Day?" he asked.

"Boring, really. I mean…I got a few Valentines, but thankfully, they were written, not singing."

"Oh? Who were they from?" Harry asked, fiddling with the ribbon from the box.

"Well, Theo gave me one, but just as a joke, really. And this boy in my year, Jesse Jameson, gave me one too. And Blaise. He gave me a rose, and a kiss."

"He kissed you?" Harry asked, looking incredulous and murderous all at the same time.

"Only on the cheek." I said with a hint of defensiveness.

"Jeez, he's not really hiding the fact that he likes you, is he?"

I blushed. "No, I suppose not."

"But you don't like him that way?" He seemed to be asking for confirmation.

"Honestly, I don't know how I feel about _anybody._ But I might kind of like Blaise. A little. He's really sweet. But I'm certainly _not_ ready to date him or anything. I'm too busy. And I'm only eleven. My mum probably won't let me date until I'm at least sixteen anyways." I looked at Harry. "You seem to ask a lot of questions about how I feel about Blaise…are you jealous?"

"What? No. I mean, yes. No. I mean no, I'm not jealous, but yes, I am…in a brotherly sort of way. I just don't want you to get hurt. It goes back to that 'getting too close to the Slytherins' thing."

"I understand. But I'll let you know if anything happens. I'm really not ready to date anyone, so even if Blaise asked me to go out with him tomorrow, I would say no. Really…I'm a little surprised he's thinking so much about girls already. Aren't boys your age still supposed to be obnoxious, pratty, pains-in-the-arse?"

Harry laughed. "Some of us still are. Like Malfoy."

"Oh, yes. He definitely fits all of those requirements." We laughed and talked for a few more minutes, then left our special meeting place, setting off on our own ways.

* * *

It was sometime towards the end of April when something happened that affected me almost as much as finding out about my family had. 

Hermione was attacked.

I sat there in shock, even after Professor Snape left. _How could this happen? Who's doing this? Oh, gods, Hermione…_A lump had formed in my throat as I tried to hold back tears. _I wonder how Harry and Ron are doing…_

"Ha!" Malfoy laughed as he stood up from his chair. "That Mudblood Granger's finally got it! It's too bad she didn't die…" That was the last straw; I snapped. I stood up and walked straight over to him, slapping him in the face. Draco's eyes went wide, and he turned back to me with a snarl. "What the hell d--" but I cut him off.

"How _dare_ you!" I seethed. "Regardless of your feelings towards muggle-borns, she's a _human being_, Draco. How would you feel if someone wanted to get rid of _you_?" I poked him hard in the chest and glared at him. "You're nothing more than a racist prick." Then I turned on my heel and started walking back to my room, the stunned crowd giving me a wide berth.

"Why do _you_ care, Harrell?" Adrian Pucey said disdainfully. I turned around slowly. "You're a pure-blood, we all are. Why do we care what happens to those outside of our own house? It's not like we're friends with any of them."

I looked at Draco, and he cast me a hard look that read, 'You've just dug your own grave.' I sighed and turned to Adrian. "You're right. None of us _should_ care. But that doesn't mean we can't. Slytherins are supposed to be ambitious. So let's be ambitious! We need to stop doing whatever our parents tell us to do, or think what our parents tell us to think." There was a murmur in the crowd. "I'm not saying love the muggle-borns, or even like them. But I really can't think ill of people I don't know. It's just the way I am. All I'm asking is for you all to accept that about me. You can do whatever it is that you want." I turned to walk away again, glancing at Draco. He raised a calculating eyebrow at me.

"Well then, Raven, you'll just have to accept that we hate anyone who's not in Slytherin," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. There was a mutter of agreement in the masses. It was an unspoken given; to me at least, that he hated a few in Slytherin too. Namely me. I stopped again.

"That's fine, Malfoy."

"So do you really expect us to be ok if you want to become friends with the Mudbloods?" Flint asked, so I turned back around.

"No, not really. But I never said I wanted to be friends with any of them, did I? I'm not one to entirely stray from the pack. I just stick to my own kind: _those who can think for themselves_." And I left a dumbstruck room of Slytherins for my own room, where I flopped down on my bed, grabbed my pillow, and screamed into it. _Goddamn bloody hell! What did I just do? I just totally lost it, that's what. And barely picked up the pieces too. Shit. I'm never going to live that down. Oh, Hermione…I hope you'll be ok._

"That wasn't too smart, you know." Startled, I sat up and threw my pillow at the intruder. He caught it deftly.

"What the bloody hell are you doing in my room? Get out! OUT!"

"You _do_ realise you almost blew your cover?" Draco said calmly, not even fazed.

"And do _you_ realise that you just lost your chance of getting rid of me, once and for all?"

He shrugged. "Honestly, I just wanted to see if you'd make it out in one piece." He threw the pillow back at me, and I caught it. "You didn't do too bad a job, either. You didn't directly deny that you're not a pure-blood, so your social status is still intact." He grinned arrogantly, like he had been in on some big joke. Which maybe he was, in a way.

I glared at him. "I hate you."

"Well, I'm not too fond of you either." Draco looked around. "Are those muggle pictures? Of musical groups or something? Kinda risky, you know. I heard Pansy's been in here once or twice."

"Yeah, she asked about them once and I just told her that I have a few really distant relatives that are muggle-borns. And that music doesn't have to be magical for me to like it. But that I wished there was a magical way to listen to it, I had to leave it all at home." I sighed. "Why the hell am I telling you? You don't care."

"You're right. I don't, really. But what I _am_ interested in is _this_," he walked over to my desk and picked up the snow globe. "I thought you'd have thrown it away by now."

I looked at the floor. "I…couldn't. I thought about it, but honestly, I never got to thank you for it. It's a lovely gift, even if the reason you gave it to me is still questionable."

"Questionable? I thought I made my reasons perfectly clear." He set it back down.

"But you were so rude about it. 'I wanted to do something nice, but I still hate you.'" I mimicked. "_Merlin,_ could you _be_ any more unfriendly?"

"Yes, I could. And I do not sound like that!"

"Of course you do. All you do is whine and snivel. Or gloat and act pompous. It's rather predictable, really."

"I am _not_ predictable."

"Sure you are."

"_No_, I am not."

"Fine, have it your way. But I'll think what I like."

"And I can't stop you, is that it?"

"Yep. Pretty much."

"You're exhausting."

"And you're not?"

He glared at me. "I'm leaving now."

"Good," I replied.

"Then maybe I'll stay."

"That's fine too."

"Argh! Do you always have to be so bloody compliant?" I loved the fact that I got under his skin.

"No, I do it just to annoy you." I smiled sweetly.

He rolled his eyes. "It's a never-ending battle with you…"

"And it will never change."

"No. It won't."

"Good. I think things would get boring around here if they did."

"I agree."

"And that's the only thing we will ever agree on." I sighed. "Well, since we're cooped up, I suppose I better get all of my studying done. Get out." _So much for seeing Harry tonight…I'll never be able to get out now._

He nodded and walked to the door, pausing just before he opened it. "You're welcome, by the way."

"For what?"

"The gift." And he left, closing the door behind him. I visibly relaxed and stood to lock my door.

_Wait…did I just have a _semi-civilconversation_ with Draco? Oh gods, I hope not._

_

* * *

_  
Towards end of term, life around the castle was tense but boring. We weren't allowed to go anywhere on our own, and there were so many teachers and prefects on patrol in the halls, that it would have been impossible for Harry and I to meet. Things in the Slytherin dungeons weren't any better. Everyone seemed to believe that none of the Slytherins would be attacked, to which I secretly agreed, regardless of my own family history. However, they were restless because they thought they could have free reign over the school, but weren't allowed to leave the common room. I was happy enough, though. I had books, homework and a bedroom all to myself. Although being in the dungeons can get depressing, I found my solitude to be quite a bit more freeing. 

Unfortunately, the incident that had Draco barging into my room still left me shaken. _What if he's coming in here when I'm not around? Looking through my things? I may need to destroy evidence of my friendships with Harry and Hermione…I'm not sure why I didn't think of it earlier. Maybe I just wanted evidence that I actually had friends. I wish I could speak to Professor Dumbledore, but he's gone._ Sighing, I resigned myself to talk with Professor Snape in class the next day.

Before class, I approached Professor Snape's desk, placing on it a note explaining my concern and asked if there would be any way to save the situation with Professor Dumbledore being gone. When he entered the classroom and read the note, he gave me an imperceptive nod, then continued on with the lesson.

Later that night, I heard a knocking on my door; it was Professor Snape.

"Come in, Professor," and I allowed him to walk in, closing the door shut behind him.

Snape stood near the end of my bed. "I'll get right to the point, Miss Harrell. There is only one thing that I can do in the Headmaster's absence. I have spoken with Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, and she had granted me the permission to help you in any way I can until Professor Dumbledore returns."

"He's returning?"

"In time, yes, I am sure he will." That statement did not ease my mind, but I didn't have time to dwell on it, as Professor Snape spoke again. "I can produce a potion that can be adhered to your door to create a magical barrier towards those whom you do not wish to pass. I will need to alter it slightly, however, to allow certain people to pass, namely the professors, in case of an emergency. Unfortunately, this will require some major participation on your part. I will need some of your blood to infuse into the potion."

"Some of my blood? Isn't that kind of dark?"

"Some may think so, but it is strong magic as well. For the purposes it is being used for here, I do not think it will be a problem in the eyes of wizarding authority."

"Ok."

"The blood needs to be a very specific number of hours old, before I add it to the potion, and so I will need you to fill this vial," he held out a tiny glass tube to me, "at precisely midnight tonight. You will need to think very distinctly about whom you would wish to pass the barrier. Say their names aloud if it helps. That is the only way someone will be able to pass through the barrier. I am requiring that you include Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and I."

I nodded, looking at the small vial for a minute. "Sir, can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, you may."

"How exactly does the potion work? I mean, how does my blood play a factor?"

"Your blood acts as an identifier in the potion. This potion has mainly been used for protecting possessions from being handled by people that the owner doesn't want to handle them. It creates a magical barrier on the object that it is coated in. But in this case, I will also need to use runic magic to give the barrier special properties. Have you heard of runic magic?"

I nodded. "Yes, a little."

"I will need you to mark you door with certain runes to tell it to react to the blood in the potion as well as the blood in your body."

"Why is that, sir?"

"There will be times, I'm sure, that you will not wish a particular person to bother you, even if you normally would have let them enter your room. The barrier needs to recognise this change in feeling, using your blood as a catalyst to recognise that change."

"Oh…ok. I understand. So, anyone can just walk in, unless I have a change in feeling about letting that person pass the barrier?"

"Generally, yes. Although, it will probably require a conscious effort on your part as well, possibly even verbal consent. But no one will notice a change in the door; it will just appear locked and incapable of being unlocked. Although, there is only one probable possibility that no one would be able to pass through."

"And what's that, Professor?"

"Granted, I have no evidence to support this claim, but with the knowledge I have about the properties of this process, I can say that if you are in a state of mind in which you can make no conscious decision on letting anyone pass, the only way to break the barrier is to shed your blood and trace over the runes in a particular order. I will give you a chart on the pattern we will use, in case this happens."

"But…if I could make a decision to break the barrier, couldn't I just think to let someone pass?"

Snape nodded. "That is the idea, but there is always a chance with magic…there may be some side effects that we may not know about yet. I am sure you can see that this is a rather risky chance to take, Raven, combining magic in this way. But it has been done before, and I ask you to have full confidence in my abilities."

"Oh, I do, Professor Snape. Truthfully."

"Good. Now, I'll leave you to your homework. Remember, at midnight sharp you want to start filling the vial. Do you have a something to prick your finger with?"

"Yes, I have small sewing kit."

"That will be acceptable. I will be by tomorrow morning before breakfast to pick it up. Goodnight, Miss Harrell."

I rushed forward and hugged him around the middle. "Thank you, Professor." I felt him stiffen, then relax slightly and pat me on the head.

"You're welcome." He said curtly. "Goodnight." I knew that was about as affectionate as he could get.

I stepped back, allowing him to pass by me. "Goodnight." As soon as he was out of the room and the door was closed, I let out a yelp of joy. _Finally. Some _real_ privacy._

And at midnight that night, I pricked my finger with a sewing needle and let the blood flow into the tiny vial, whispering the list of names I made of those I would allow in my room. The only problem was that I couldn't stop my finger from bleeding. _Crap, I must have pricked myself too deep._ Sucking on my finger, I padded out of my room and turned to go down the hall to the washroom, but I ran into someone. A very pale, _annoying_ someone.

"Malfoy! What are you doing down the girl's corridor at this time of night?" I said, frowning.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I was helping the second year girls with some of our homework. Just finished up."

"I see." I said disapprovingly, raising an eyebrow.

"What are _you _doing up?"

"I--" but my response was cut off as he suddenly jerked my injured hand up to his face.

"What have we here?" He drawled, examining my finger. "You're bleeding."

"No shit, Draco. Now let go."

"How'd you do it? You weren't trying to kill yourself, were you? That's an awfully slow way to die." He leaned forward, a secretive smile on his face. "I know some rather quick and painless ways, if you're really going that direction."

"I'm not stupid, Draco. Besides, you'd enjoy that, wouldn't you? Watching me slowly bleed to death?"

"Not particularly. I get squeamish at the sight of too much blood."

"Pansy," I muttered.

"What does she have to do with anything?"

I shook my head; my insult was lost on him. "Never mind."

"So, what did you do?"

_God, can't he stay out of _anything? "I pricked myself sewing," I lied.

"Sewing by hand? My, you really are a muggle." I glared at him. "I bet you learned that from your muggle-loving mother, didn't you?"

"So what if I did?"

"I can fix this for you, you know." _Talk about a change of subject…_

"That's nice, but I can fix it myself."

"With what? You don't seem to have your wand…"

I rolled my eyes. "It's called 'cleaning the wound first,' Draco. Now will you please let me go?"

"No." he said, and then he looked at the drop of blood that was about to run down my finger, right before he closed his mouth around the wound, sucking softly on it. My eyes widened. _What the…what is he doing?_ I stood there frozen, entranced by the strange feeling in my hand. His tongue massaged the wound for a moment, his eyes closed. Then he stopped, slowly withdrawing his mouth from my finger, his eyes suddenly locked on mine. "There. It's fine." He said, dropping my hand.

I stared at my finger for a moment. There was nothing. It was like I had never pricked it to begin with. "What…what did you do?" I whispered, my voice caught in my throat.

He leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "That was innate magic, babe. Something your half-blood body will _never_ have the ability to control." He chuckled low in his throat, brushing past me and out of the corridor.

I shuddered. _That was…that was…_ I sighed. _Weird._ I looked at my finger a moment longer, then started rubbing it on my nightgown. _Bleck. Now I _really_ have to go wash my hands._

_

* * *

_  
**POLL TIME!!!** I'm taking a poll, through the reviews. When you review, let me know whom you like Raven to get together with…I'm curious to see what my readers think. Not that it's guaranteed to change my story…but we'll see. :D Oh, and if you have any ideas for the story, don't be afraid to drop me a line…I'm always looking for fresh ideas and outlooks to my story. 

**A/N:**_I forgot to mention how long it took me to figure the proper way to spell Raven's door. I had all these different things running through my head, and had a nice, long conversation between Snape, Dumbledore and Raven…and then I realised that Dumbledore was already gone at this point. Lol. Oh well, I like this way better. _

**Gingerlover: **Yay! More Seattle friends! Lol Thank you so much for reading. And yeah, I know Raven sounds a little bit older…it's due to two reasons: One: I'm a 21-year-old trying to write and think like an 11-year-old…not exactly easy to do. (But granted, I was quite a bit more mature than the other kids anyway…) And two: This story is basically a compilation of the memories Raven writes down while she's in school (using her new quill), and her observations and musings years later, as she writes her memoirs. I hope that helps my writing make a bit more sense. :)

**PinkKangaroo:** Sorry about the suspense. :D I'm evil, I know. But I'm glad you're reading. You and SmileyFace3 are my most dedicated readers…and I hope I can keep your attention.

**SmileyFace3:** I'm glad everyone like over-protective Harry! And as far as romance…well, nothing for a while yet. Remember…she's only eleven! And I agree…I like competition too. :) And now the evil plot bunnies run rampant

Thanks everyone for reading! Please review!


	12. Spelling the Door

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only Raven and her family and background. And this story. Yeah.

**Chapter Notes: **_Sorry this has taken so long, guys. I really didn't want to post anymore chapters until I figured out where I was going in chapter twelve…and let me tell you, it's taken me a while to get over my writer's block. And I've also started a new story, I'm sure some of you know…Anyway, on with Chapter Eleven!_

_Anyway, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to tell me. I'll try to accommodate as best I can.** (I really like ideas... :)**_

Please review; I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant it.)

* * *

**Spelling the Door**

* * *

The next morning, Snape came by and picked up the vial. 

"I assume you had no problems doing this by midnight?" He asked, looking at the contents.

"No, sir. I started filling the vial at precisely midnight."

"Good. I will come by tomorrow evening with the potion and the proper runic map. We will put the map on the inside of the door, so that those outside will not know what we are doing."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

He nodded curtly. "I'll see you tomorrow evening, Miss Harrell." I nodded back, and Professor Snape left with the vial.

The day went by rather uneventfully, and Draco only cast me an arrogant look during breakfast; a reminder of what had transpired the night before. _Don't look at me like that, you git. You're creeping me out with your weird behaviour._

The next evening, Professor Snape knocked on my door; it was time to administer the potion. Stepping inside and closing the door behind him, Snape withdrew from his robes a piece of parchment and a large phial of a dark purple substance. It was thick like paint, and had a slightly metallic smell to it.

"Here is the runic map we will be using." And he handed me the parchment, which had on it a circle with criss-crossing circles inside, and a ring of runic symbols around the outside. In the very centre of the design, there was a rune that was different from all the others. I recognised some of the runes from various things I had read, but didn't remember their names or their meanings, although I assumed most of them were for protection. "The rune in the centre of the circle will be for your magical signature," Snape said.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"All witches and wizards have a magical signature, Miss Harrell. It's like a symbol of your own magic that you leave wherever you perform a spell or other type of magic. There is only one way to detect magic by someone who cannot innately do so. It's a very complicated spell requiring a lot of concentration. This symbol is not your magical signature, it is only a rune to help open up the channelling of your personal magic and it will be replaced with your magical signature when the time comes to seal the map on the door."

I nodded in understanding, but a question ran through my mind. "Professor, why would someone need to detect someone else's magical signature?"

"For the purposes of criminal investigation. It's very difficult to find someone's magical signature. It's a personal and private thing, and most wizards don't even know their own. So one must be specially trained to find magical signatures."

"You said that someone might be able to detect magical signatures innately?"

"Yes. There are no known people of such power alive today, but there are witches and wizards who can concentrate and actually see magical signatures. Some can actually see the signatures, some can only see colours. These people are generally called Aura Readers."

"Magical signatures have colours?"

"Most do, yes. They're a reflection of the magic that is inside of you. A part of your aura, so to speak. Now, I believe we should start working on this barrier. I will tell you, however, that because of the nature of this type of barrier, you will need to destroy the barrier on the last day of term, and we will need to repeat this process that the start of every term hereafter. I want you to memorise what we do tonight, even write it down somewhere private. It would only seem suspicious if I came in here at the beginning of every term to help you administer the potion. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Let's begin." And Snape opened the large phial, and the metallic smell only got stronger. "Normally," Snape said, "you would either dip or coat the object in this potion for a certain length of time, however, because of your circumstances, we will be adding the runes to direct the properties of the potion in a certain way." I nodded, covering my nose because of the smell. "The good thing about this is that I can administer the runic map to the door using my fingers, and they will remain unaffected, because this potion cannot be used on living organisms."

"Oh."

Snape dipped his first two fingers into the sticky substance as if it were finger paint, and asked me to hold up the runic map where he could see it, as to not make any mistakes. He then put his fingers to the door, drawing a large circle. Inside that, he drew the smaller circles, allowing them to cross over each other, each time, gathering more of the purple potion on his fingers. I watched carefully, as he drew out the runes, memorising the order of the strokes. When he was finished, he cleaned off his hand with a spell and turned to me.

"Now, you need to draw your magical signature."

"How do I do that, sir?"

"Take a bit of the potion onto your fingers, and draw this rune," he said, pointing to the one in the centre of the map, "in the centre circle. The blood in the potion will react to the action of you performing the magic, and the rune will change to reflect your magical signature."

"So is your magical signature in the barrier then? Since you put it on the door?" I asked, dipping my fingers in the potion. It really did feel just like paint.

"Yes, this time it will be. However, I still won't be able to break the barrier, as my blood is not in the potion." I nodded, and then turned to the door.

I looked at the rune, then at Professor Snape. "Is there a specific way to draw it?"

"Draw this vertical line first, then this one, and this one," he explained, pointing to the different lines.

"Ok." And I touched my fingers to the door, watching the purple paint-like substance stick to the wood as I drew the rune. As soon as the last stroke was completed, the whole map glowed a bright and nearly blinding red, and I stepped back a bit. As we watched, the pattern started to move, the runes on the outside ring spinning clockwise, and the circles in the middle becoming a blur as they moved in the opposite direction. The rune in the centre glowed more brightly, and started to morph into a symbol of loops and lines, but it never stopped moving. Then suddenly, it all stopped, and the glowing went out like a dying ember. The door was now clean, devoid of any markings at all. I never got to see exactly what my magical signature looked like.

"Excellent," Snape said, a gleeful glint in his eye.

"It worked?"

He nodded. "Now, the last day of term, you are to prick your finger and write the map over again. Then the seal will be broken. At the beginning of next year, I will ask for more blood, and eventually, I will teach you how to make your own potion. Until that time, I will have to make it for you at the beginning of each term."

"Ok. Thank you very much Professor Snape."

"You're welcome. Now, I believe it's time for me to take my leave. I hope you can sleep better now knowing that your privacy is protected."

"Yes sir. Thank you again, sir."

"Good evening, Miss Harrell."

"Evening, Professor." And Snape left, leaving me alone in my room. _Finally!_ I thought, and then used my wand to wash my hand. There was a knock on the door, and Blaise's voice came through the newly spelled wood.

"Raven? Can I come in?"

_Let's see how this works. _"Yeah, come in, Blaise." I watched the door intently, and all I saw was the door handle rattle a bit as Blaise turned it from the outside, and then the door swung open to reveal Blaise himself.

"Hey," he said, closing the door behind him.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked.

"I was just wondering…why Snape keeps coming by to see you. I mean…it just seems a little odd. Are you ok? You're not having any problems with potions, are you?"

"No, I'm not. I just…" _What to tell him…I hate lying to Blaise…_ "I've just been feeling a little worried about all the attacks lately. So he's been stopping by to talk to me about it, to make sure it's not affecting my school work."_ Well, it's not a _complete_ lie…_

"Oh. I was actually wondering the same thing, with that little outburst you had a few days ago."

"Ah, yeah. Sorry about that. I'm just…" I sat down on my bed. "I'm…different, you know."

"How so?"

I shrugged. "I'm just different than the rest of you. I mean, you've said it yourself, at the beginning of the year. _I'm_ the one that's abnormal. I actually care about other people, even though they're not in Slytherin." I sighed, then looked at Blaise imploringly. "Is that bad?"

Blaise came over and sat down beside me. "No. At least, I don't think so. I mean, it is a little odd, the way you think differently than the rest of us, but we're all different. And we're only kids. We really _should _all be scared and worried. And the only reason we aren't is because it's the Heir of Slytherin. The Heir wouldn't attack their own kind."

"But is that really true? I mean…who_ is_ the heir of Slytherin? None of _us _even know who it is. Doesn't that seem a bit odd to you?"

Blaise shrugged. "I guess so. But honestly, there isn't a whole lot any of us can do. I really doubt it's anyone currently in Slytherin. At least, I haven't noticed anyone acting too incredibly odd lately. But I'm just trying not to worry about it. And you shouldn't either." He smiled at me. He had a point, although it seemed odd that he'd admit something like the Heir of Slytherin isn't a current student. I mean, where and who could they be? It's not a teacher, is it? That seemed highly unlikely.

But I smiled slightly anyway. Blaise always had a way of making me feel a bit better about things. "You're right, I shouldn't."

"So…" Blaise trailed off.

"So." I said back. We sat in an awkward silence a minute before there was a knock on the door. "Yes?" I called.

"Raven?" I heard a girl's voice say from the other side. "There's an owl for you with a package."

"Ok! I'll be there in a minute!" I called, and then turned to Blaise. "Well, I guess I better go see what that is." He nodded, and we stood, going out to the common room, where there was a familiar owl perched on one of the high-backed chairs, a rather large package hanging from it's beak. I took the package, and patted the owl on the head, after which it took off towards the dungeon door, which opened automatically for the bird as it departed.

The package had a short note attached. It was from my mum, for my birthday. _Oh! That's right! I'm twelve tomorrow. I totally forgot…I've been too worried with everything going on at school…_

"Who's it from?" Blaise asked.

I smiled as I looked up at him. "It's from my mum. It's my birthday present!"

Blaise's eyes widened. "It's your birthday? Why didn't you tell anyone?" He sounded slightly panicked.

I shrugged. "I just…forgot. And tomorrow's actually my birthday."

"Well, we'll have to throw a party, then!"

"What?" I said, alarmed.

"You can't turn twelve without a birthday party! It's not allowed!"

"But…tomorrow's a Thursday! We can't have a party tomorrow. We'll all have homework!"

"Zabini, don't bother throwing a party for that girl. She's too ungrateful." An unpleasant voice said from the other side of the room.

I whirled around to face Draco. "And just _how_ am I ungrateful?"

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" He drawled, cocking an eyebrow at me.

I frowned, opening my mouth to retort, but before I could do so, Blaise cut in. "Whatever, Draco." Then he turned to me. "How about we just have the house-elves make you a cake. It will be a small party, I swear. Just a few of us, in your room. Please?" His blue eyes were wide and glossy, and his lower lip pouted out just slightly. How could I say no to a face like that?

I sighed. "Alright. But only a few people. And cake. That's it."

He beamed. "I promise." _Goodness, he's cute. And awfully sweet. Maybe it's not so bad here…if I have people like Blaise on my side. I could do this for another six years, right?_

And Blaise kept his promise. The next evening after dinner, Blaise, Theo, Pansy, Millicent and I gathered in my room for a small birthday party. The cake the house-elves made (by this time, I had read that the elves were magical creatures born into serving wizard families) was absolutely delicious, and they even gave Blaise some juice to go with it. I got cards from everyone, seeing as it was such short notice, but Blaise assured me that they wouldn't forget next year, so I'd better watch out for a big party. My mum had made me a new summer dress to wear, made of a light fabric and coloured varying degrees of green.

The party was short but nice, and after getting a warm hug from Theo, a delicate but squishy hug from Pansy, and a suffocating hug from Millie, Blaise, just before he left, gave me a hug and another kiss on the cheek. _Harry's right…he's really not hiding the fact that he likes me._

And the rest of the year went on uneventful, save for the last few days, when I thought I had nearly lost many of those dear to me.

* * *

**POLL TIME!!!** I'm taking a poll, through the reviews. When you review, let me know whom you like Raven to get together with…I'm curious to see what my readers think. Not that it's guaranteed to change my story…but we'll see. :D Oh, and if you have any ideas for the story, don't be afraid to drop me a line…I'm always looking for fresh ideas and outlooks to my story. 

A/N: I hope the whole spell and how it works makes sense. If not, review, and I'll be happy to explain as best I can. **Also, I'm not sure how soon I'll get to chapter twelve**, seeing as I'm just finishing it up, and Christmas is coming, and I have to work (ON CHRISTMAS! Sombody tell me they think the world sucks too…the absurdity of making people work on Christmas…jeeze…) and… yeah. So it might be a while. And I have plenty of the next few years of Raven's time at Hogwarts written, so hopefully, once I can figure out all the in-between stuff and "LITTLE THINGS" –that's a trademarked phrase, you know- then everything else will (or should be easy) Barring that my muse doesn't disappear again, or school and work don't take over my life…or I don't find some other obsession…Love you all! Thanks for Reading!

P.S. I apologise in advance for my hasty review responses…I'm at the library and only have so much time here…

**REVIEWS:**

**Gingerlover: **Yeah…I suppose I'm dedicated. I'm trying, anyway. I do actually have quite a bit written, and even a few end ideas…:D Thanks for reading.

**PinkKangaroo:**Yeah, I wasn't sure about that last scene either…but it just kinda came out and I couldn't think of another situation to use it in later, when they're older…And thanks for the poll input…I'll see what I can do.

**SmileyFace3:** Thanks for the review, as usual. :D And we'll just have to see about Harry's protectiveness intentions, now won't we…;) But do remember how old he is…and how adorably naïve…

**Elanor Black: **Thanks for the review! And your poll input. I like grabbing new reader's attention. And don't worry about the English thing…I never would have known…

**JetSilphymon: **Thank you for reviewing! I'll try to update after this as soon as possible. It may be a few weeks…sorry! And thanks for your input on the poll.

Thanks to you all for reading! I love you!


	13. First Year, The End

**IMPORTANT UPDATE!**

**This is now the REAL chapter. The teaser's gone, but I left the note about it...don't ask why. Just to confuse you all, I'm sure. I'm crazy. Let's just leave it at that. :P  
**

**Chapter Notes:**_ Ok, first of all, I am SO SO SO sorry for not putting anything up earlier. I've been more than a little hung up on my other story…but I've also been stuck-right at the end! And I'm still stuck. So really, this is a **TEASER**. It's what I have so far that isn't crap, basically. As soon as I can make the ending of this blasted chapter work properly, I'll replace this one with it. I'm sorry this isn't a real update, but I feel like I've made you guys wait long enough. So, without further ado, I give you Chapter Twelve-the beginning of the end. (Of Raven's first year, in any case.) ;D

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**First Year, The End

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When I heard Professor McGonagall's voice ring throughout the halls, telling us students to go back to our dormitories, my first though was, "Oh my god, Harry's been attacked!" But as I ran down to the dungeons from the Library, I knew immediately that that wasn't true.

All of the students were gathered in the common room, talking animatedly about who the next victim could be. I just sat in the dark corner, looking dazedly at the floor and trembling slightly. Blaise sat near me, giving my hand a squeeze. "It's alright, Raven. It's not any of us, anyway. Just another Mudblood." I stiffened under his grip, but tried to act as natural as I could.

"Yes, I suppose you're right, Blaise. Just another Mudblood." I put just enough disgust and malice in my words to be believable, but the reasons behind it had to do with Blaise's (and the rest of the Slytherins') attitude towards the situation.

Snape came into common room a short while later to inform us that we were going home the next day, so we were to pack our bags, and we were _not_ to try and leave the common room under _any_ circumstances, and that if they needed assistance, to owl him. He would be spell locking the entrance so no students could leave.

"Is everyone here? I don't want to lock anyone out." He said in a grave voice.

There was a murmur of ascent among the crowd; yes, everyone was there. Then an older student asked, "What's happened, Professor? Has there been another attack?" There were a few chuckles among the students gathered. I glanced at Draco, and saw a smug smirk carefully placed on his lips.

Snape glared briefly at the student who asked. "Only to stop any rumours that may arise, I will divulge in your enquiry. No, there has not been another attack."

"Then why were we all sent back to the dormitories?" another student asked, not hiding his annoyance.

"_Because,_ Mr. Montague," Snape sneered, he was obviously not in the mood to deal with us. "A student has been taken into the Chamber by the monster. We are working on a plan to retrieve her." That comment spurred me into action.

Standing up quickly, I said over the murmur of the crowd, "Her? Who is it, Professor?" The room was immediately quiet, awaiting the answer.

Snape slowly turned to me and quirked an eyebrow, ever so slightly. I could tell that he was trying to judge what my reaction should be. And I never would have guessed his answer.

"Miss Ginevra Weasley." He said softly.

My world stopped for a moment. _Oh my god…Ginny…_I kept staring at Snape, but my gaze was elsewhere. I kept staring, even after he had gone. Only Draco moving into my range of vision caused me to snap out of it.

"You hear that, Raven? Your little Weaselette friend is as good as dead. How do you feel about that?"

I looked straight into his grey eyes and said in a dangerously low voice laced with anger, "She's not my friend, Malfoy."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes. Really. We were never friends." And with that, I turned away and went to my room, slamming my door shut. As soon as I got into my room, I flung myself on the bed, bursting into tears, my cries caught in my throat. I cried for a long time, fearing for the life of that red-haired girl I met on the train. And I cried about what I had told Draco…we really never _had_ been friends…and I regretted that more than anything. I wish I could go back in time, and make _real_ friends with Ginny, so maybe I wouldn't have been in Slytherin, maybe I would have been in Gryffindor, and I could have protected Ginny from the monster.

But as my tears slowed, my mind became clearer. _Why _did the monster take Ginny? She's a pureblood, right? That's what Draco said about the Weasleys. So…that doesn't make any sense. The monster had no reason to take Ginny. Unless…unless the Heir of Slytherin had something against the Weasleys…against Ginny. Someone like…Malfoy.

But again, that didn't make any sense. I heard Draco himself say to Crabbe and Goyle (or what he _thought_ was Crabbe and Goyle), that he didn't know who it was, and that his father told him to lay low. And he also told me before that that it wasn't him. Surely Draco's ego is so big that he'd tell everyone in Slytherin. Then again, with me around, he'd probably think I'd tell Dumbledore. You can't trust everyone in Slytherin. I sure don't.

I sighed heavily. I just didn't know what to think. And currently, I couldn't do anything anyway. I was locked up in these oppressive dungeons underneath the lake. Besides, if Draco _was_ the Heir of Slytherin, he probably wouldn't be here, right? He'd be off in the Chamber, commanding the monster to kill Ginny.

Draco Malfoy…

He was an enigma to me, even more so now than when I had first seen him that day in Diagon Alley. I just didn't understand him. Sometimes I hated him, and sometimes…he acted like he actually had a heart. But those times were few and far between. When he first met me he seemed interested in me…wanting to know everything, looking at me with those strange grey eyes. Making me feel like he was sucking me into ice-cold oblivion…

Wait a minute.

The memory of his eyes from a few minutes ago flashed in my mind. I didn't feel weird, like I used to when I looked into his eyes. In fact, I hadn't felt like that in a while. When did it change? Oh well. It's not like I missed it or anything. It just wasn't natural, really.

I sighed again. This thinking was getting me nowhere. Not that my mind had anywhere to go in the first place. At least it was keeping me from thinking about…

And I started crying again. _Oh, Ginny…I hope they find you in time…I hope you're okay. I hope we can get another chance to be friends._ And after a mentally exhausting evening, I fell into the void of sleep, still fully clothed and my eyes aching from all the crying I had done.

* * *

What felt like a few hours later, I woke up, still in my uniform, and slowly made my way to the door to get some water. My tongue seemed glued to the roof of my mouth. When I reached the hallway, the silence of the dorms seemed to permeate my skin. The ringing in my ears grew louder as I shuffled down the darkened hall to the bathroom. I was about to open the bathroom door when I heard a vague noise behind me. Whirling around, I said, "Who's there?"

But there was no answer. The hall was dark and empty, save for me and the green torches. I turned back around to proceed, but I heard it again. I still couldn't identify the noise, but it almost sounded like laughing…or crying. It was coming from the common room.

Slowly, my footsteps took me to the other end of the hall, the darkness only broken by the flickering green flames on the wall. But the sound was getting louder, so I started to move faster. I could make out the sound now. It was _definitely_ someone crying. A girl perhaps? Quickly I walked, until a feeling of dread rose up in me and I broke out into a dead sprint. I burst through the door to the common room, only stop dead at what lay before me.

Ginny, beautiful, red-haired and fair-skinned Ginny, lay on the floor in the middle of the common room, a growing pool of darkness around her. She was as paler than death, her skin sallow, and her eyes slightly sunken in, her life-blood seeping out of her as not only I, but one other person watched.

But this other person was not weeping shallowly like Ginny, nor were they screaming like I. No, they were _laughing._ Laughing like no greater or funnier thing could have just happened.

Suddenly I was rushing forward, screaming Ginny's name. Her blood seeped through my clothes as she took her last shuddery breath and I felt a rage and an anguish tear through me so great that I slid to the floor, the darkness swallowing me as lay in the cooling blood of the body next to me.

The last thing I saw was Draco Malfoy's laughing face.

* * *

Raven came to, screaming and screaming and screaming. No words, just shrieks and cries and screeches. Her heart hammered in her chest so hard she thought it was going to break. She felt the blood all over her, the sight of Ginny's body and Draco's face fresh in her mind. It took only the feeling of someone's tight embrace to make her screams dissolve into whimpers and body-racking sobs.

"Shh…shh…it's alright…" She heard in her ear.

She barely registered it as Pansy, who to Raven, at that moment, was the greatest friend a girl could have. She may not have showed it, but Pansy really was the mothering sort of type, but only if she really liked you and felt it was worth her time. The frightened young Slytherin vaguely heard Pansy telling someone to get a handkerchief and some water. She rocked Raven back and forth, and slowly her sobs subsided, and she became more aware of her surroundings. Pansy wasn't the only one in her room. Millicent was also there, along with a few girls from other years, and Blaise and Theo and few other boys were also there. Blaise was sitting on the end of her bed; a comforting hand on her foot, and looking deathly worried about the girl. But there was one there that shouldn't have been. This one person made all rational thought disappear, and made Raven shriek in fright and start screaming again.

"NO! GET HIM AWAY IT WAS _HIM_! HE DID IT! HE KILLED HER! _NO!_ HE'LL KILL ME TOO!" Raven screamed at the top of her lungs and she desperately tried to get out of Pansy's hold to find somewhere, _anywhere,_ to hide, as long as it was awayfrom_ him._

Everyone jumped at her sudden burst of screaming, and while the girl who had been sent, Natalie Pierce, came back with a few handkerchiefs and a glass of water for Raven, they were forgotten momentarily in the immediate chaos that ensued.

Pansy tried to ask her what she was talking about, but Raven just shook her head, all sense of reality gone. "HIM! IT WAS HIM!" She shrieked as she buried herself as deep as the material world would let her go into Pansy's embrace. Her eyes were wide and she was staring in utter terror at a boy standing just outside the doorway.

"Who?" Pansy said in a soothing tone.

Raven finally raised a hand and pointed him out. "_HIM_. He's evil, a monster. Please, Pansy, don't let him get me…please…" Her voice suddenly lost all its power and she trailed off, whimpering again.

Everyone in the room looked at the boy in question. Draco Malfoy stared back at all of them, hiding his utter confusion (and well, let's face it, a _little_ worry) of the situation and accusation with a hard look bordering on a glare, and a tightly pursed mouth.

Pansy sharply said, "Draco, you'd better go." And with an even sharper glare at Pansy, and one last glance at Raven, Draco turned on his heel and stalked away; the students gathered gaping after him.

Pansy then looked at the others, as she smoothed Raven's sweaty hair down. "Someone go get Snape. Send him an owl. Or something." Immediately, someone was out the door, off to send and owl to their head of house.

"Natalie, the water, please." Pansy was definitely now in 'mother' mode, and no one was arguing. Natalie handed her the glass of water, and Blaise the handkerchiefs. She silently got Raven to drink a bit of the water, then took a handkerchief from Blaise to wipe her sweat and tear-drenched face. She didn't particularly like taking this role, and sweat was something she generally swore to never deal with (after all, Pansy absolutely _did not_ sweat), but it had to be done. She could already tell that Blaise was too fidgety for the job, and besides, she was there first. She had just opened the door to the girls' hall, after spending a late night with a fair lot of Slytherins, when Raven's screaming had grabbed the attention of anyone still awake and/or in the common room. She had thought she'd have a problem with the door, seeing as Raven tended to lock it, but she easily made it past that particular barrier and to the girl thrashing on the bed.

Raven had finally curled up in exhaustion, falling into a light slumber. Pansy gently laid her down then motioned everyone out of the room, although both her and Blaise left reluctantly.

* * *

I awoke again feeling quite dazed. I also felt disoriented, seeing as how I _knew_ that what I was looking at was _not_ the ceiling of my room. I tried sitting up, but immediately, a pair of hands belonging to Professor Snape pushed me back down.

"Professor…what's going on?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that, Miss Harrell," he said, looking at me with mild interest.

I took the chance to look around at my surroundings. I was apparently in the hospital wing, although I don't remember how I got there, and it was much busier than the last I had visited. Madam Pomfrey and a few teachers were running around administering the mandrake potion to all of those who were petrified. But then I saw someone I wasn't expecting.

Ginny. And her parents. And just seeing that she was ok, sitting there drinking something out of a mug, it brought back all of my memories of the past few hours.

The dream, the waking, the irrational fear…it was as if I had never really woken. In fact, it seemed rather like a dream, another person entirely.

Oh, and the things I had screamed…everyone probably thought I was mad. I would too, if I had seen someone in that state.

"Miss Harrell?" I was startled out of my thoughts by Professor Snape.

"I…well, Professor…what _do_ you know?" I asked wearily.

"Only that you seemed to have had a dream from which you awakened screaming."

"That's about all I know as well, Professor." When Snape raised an eyebrow, I continued. "I mean…I'm not sure why I was so…scared."

"Miss Parkinson mentioned Draco Malfoy. Has he been a problem as of late?"

I shook my head. "No, Professor. It's just…in my dream, Draco…well, I dreamt that Draco had killed Ginny, sir." This last part I said in a whisper. I didn't want Ginny to hear, who was sitting only a few beds away with her parents.

"I see," was all my head of house said. Then he stood, and conjured a mug of hot chocolate for me. "Drink this, then come to the Great Hall. The Headmaster has had a midnight feast prepared in honour of Harry Potter's safe return of Miss Weasley." He turned and left before I could respond. _Harry…saved Ginny? How? Ohmygod, I hope he's alright…_

But as my eyes quickly scanned the infirmary, I knew I wouldn't find him. I knew he was fine, and he was safe. That feeling was all I needed to put my mind at rest.

Ignoring the hot chocolate, I slipped out of my bed and over to Ginny's. Her mother saw my approach, and stopped talking. I saw her eyes widen slightly when she saw my green and silver tie and the Slytherin House crest on the school robes I was still wearing. She moved slightly closer, and Ginny finally looked up from her mug to look at me with wide eyes.

"Ginny?" I said hesitantly.

She looked at me for a minute before nodding.

"I…I know that this probably isn't a good time, but Ginny…I just wanted you to know, that I was really, really worried about you…when I heard… And that I'm sorry we could never be friends, 'cause I really wanted to, and…and I'm just glad you're ok!" Tears started rolling down my face, and I wiped them away harshly, mad at myself.

Ginny's brow furrowed. "Raven, I…" she faltered. "Thank you. Um…I-I really wanted to be friends too, but-"

"I know. We can't. But maybe…in the future?" I looked at her hopefully.

And to my relief, she smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that."

"Me too." I replied. "Um…well, I oughta go…the feast and all…"

"Ok. I'll um…see you around."

"Yeah." And I turned around and made my way to the door, sharing a look with Hermione, who was in a bed, still recovering, smiling at me. Smiling myself, I left the hospital wing and went downstairs to the Great Hall.

Upon entering, I was greeted with the oddest site I'd ever seen. Everyone (minus those still in the infirmary) was seated at their house tables, but almost all of them were all in their pyjamas! I looked down at my own attire and felt a little silly. Here I was, in the middle of the night, still in my school robes, which were all wrinkled and rumpled. I probably looked like a rag-a-muffin, and my suspicions were confirmed a second later when Pansy bounded over to me, squealing her delight at seeing that I was ok, followed quickly by her wishing she had her brush so she could fix my hair.

"Thanks, Panse." I said a little sarcastically.

"Oh, it's no problem. One of us has to worry about appearances, and we both know that it's not you." She led me over to our table, and as I sat down, I caught sight of Harry and Ron on the other side of the Hall. Harry smiled my way and mouthed, 'I'll write you' and then went back to talking with his friends. The next moment, Hermione burst into the Great Hall, ran up to Harry and Ron and screamed, "You solved it! You solved it!"

Smiling, I started piling stuff on my plate. When my first bite was halfway to my mouth, the excited jabbering of Blaise and Pansy on either side of me was drowned out, as my sixth sense picked up on the gaze of two ice-coloured eyes that were trained on me. I looked up at the seat across from me, and saw Draco looking at me with a mixture of blankness and glare. Setting my fork down, I gazed solemnly back, and spoke in a clear and calm voice, quite unlike how I felt inside.

"Draco, would you like to step outside? I think we need to talk."

The chatter died in the immediate vicinity around us, as Draco's look hardened. But he silently stood and made his way outside. I climbed off of the bench and followed, making sure the door closed behind us.

"What do you want, Harrell?" He said, crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive stance.

Nervousness flittered inside me as I tried to form a request for forgiveness. "Draco, I…wanted to apologise. For what I said just after I woke up. I…wasn't myself."

"I couldn't care less about an apology. You were the one who looked like a raving lunatic, screaming your head off and crying. Maybe you should apologise to everyone you woke up with your incessant screeches."

I frowned. "I was just trying to apologise for blaming you. I never really thought you did anything. It was…just a really vivid dream, was all."

"And again, I don't care. Now, if you're through wasting my time, I'd like to get back to the feast." He strode past me, knocking me hard in the shoulder.

When the doors closed after him I shouted, "I don't know why I bother with you! You ungrateful, spoiled…bastard!" Huffing for a minute, I eventually reined my emotions in, trying to set an indifferent mask on my face. Smoothing down my clothes and hair, I went back inside the Great Hall as sat down in my seat. Pansy and Blaise looked between Draco and me for a moment, but Draco was busy picking at a roll, and didn't notice the attention. I just shrugged and rolled my eyes, and my two…friends…yes, friends, went back to their eating and chatting, as I picked up my fork again. Soon we were all (minus Draco and his cronies) laughing and delighting in the news of no exams and no more Lockhart (_thank_ _Merlin_). When our stomachs were full, Pansy went on to do braids in my hair, and I talked with Blaise and Theo about what our plans for summer were.

The rest of term went on quietly, and was mainly spent outside in the blazing sunshine. I received a rather long letter from Harry describing his exploits with Ron and Lockhart in the Chamber of Secrets, along with Ginny and the journal, and a promise to write during the summer. Knowing that I really shouldn't send him a response, seeing as no one was to know that we were friends, I only gave him knowing glance during breakfast one day.

The only dark spot in the whole time was when Draco learned of his father's dismissal as a school governor. He immediately turned even colder and snappy, and not just at me, since it was obvious that he didn't want me around him, but at everyone. But it's not like I went anywhere near him anyway. Or at least I tried not to. And then there was the occasional burst of anger, in which he would go on about how unfair it was and how anyone stupid enough to do that to his father, the Great Lucius Malfoy, should be immediately done away with. Most everyone expressed their sympathy…actually, everyone did, except me. I just didn't say anything, pretending I couldn't care less. And I didn't really. Lucius got what he deserved. In fact, he should have gotten a bigger punishment, considering what the consequences nearly were.

And let's not get into how I felt about Harry nearly dying.

I still feel my chest clenching painfully when I read his letter. And I haven't been able to talk to him since. And now here I am, sitting on the train back to London, wishing that I could go talk to him and hug him tightly, or even Ginny and Hermione, but knowing that I can't.

I still hate being in Slytherin.

Too many expectations. Too many rules. Too many people watching your every move.

I can't wait to get home.

But then there's Blaise, with his excited and incessant chatter, his occasional but meaningful glances my way…a little unnerving sometimes. I've never had a boy look at me so much before. Well, then again, I usually never talked to any boys, let alone people in primary, so…it's only natural to feel this way, right?

But he's a good person. I can tell.

And then there's Pansy, who, while being completely snobby and self-preening, is actually a valuable friend. Although she doesn't show it much. Still always thinking about herself, or at least, appearances. 'You've always got to look your best, Raven. We're Slytherins. We _are_ the best, and we need to make sure everyone else remembers it too.'

And shy and quiet Theo, who really only jokes with Blaise, but holds this strange ruthlessness, when he thinks no one's watching. But I watch. I have to, really; I've come to realise, if I'm ever going to survive this.

Oh! We're pulling into London. I've got to go. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue writing during the summer; seeing as I'm sure Mum will keep me more than busy. I'm so glad Harry got me this journal and quill!

* * *

**Gingerlover: **Merry (very belated) Christmas to you too! LOL And yes, I've always seen Blaise as a cutie…we'll just have to see how things develop from here…wink wink

**SmileyFace3:** Er…Hermione was already petrified…back in like…chapter ten or something. Yeah. So…and as far as Harry and Ginny…well, she now obviously knows about Ginny, but when she finds out about Harry…well, let's just say I'm still working on it. And yes, I celebrate Christmas…but I had to WORK! :( But it wasn't so bad. I like my job, surprisingly.

Thank you all for reading! I love you all!


	14. A Witch's First Summer

**Chapter Notes: **_First of all, I want to say I'm sorry. I've been neglecting this story in a bad way. I haven't been _wanting_ to, but that other story just won't leave me alone! But it was supposed to be a back burner, and now it is. I almost want to just write that story and get it over with, but that story means just as much to me as this one, and I don't want to rush it. This one just hasn't come out of me as easily, lately. And I know the ending to my last chapter was weak. And I hate it. It sucks. But I just had to keep going…_

_Anyway, LOTS of interesting stuff going on this year…hehehe…most of it's already written…I just need to get there. :D So, I hope you all stay along for the ride…'cause Raven's life isn't getting any easier.

* * *

_

**A Witch's First Summer**

* * *

I. Am. So. Bored. 

It's been four weeks since summer started, and while I've been enjoying the break from all the stuff at school (like Draco), it's been rather boring.

I can't do magic. I can't invite Blaise or Pansy or Theo over…if they knew where I actually lived and _how_ we live here… And I can't really invite my old friends over either. It's too odd to talk to them. All they do is ask about the super-private school that I go to that they don't even know the name of.

It sucks.

I've been helping Mum with her sewing business a little bit, while she's been busy making wedding cakes for her gourmet baking business. She's been teaching me some more complicated things, as well as some charms (which, of course, I'm not allowed to do) to enhance the pieces. She's even showed me a few easy ones to make life easier, which I've written down so I can practice them later.

She's been doing magic more often now that I'm in school. I think she feels like it's finally time to stop being so paranoid. But I'm glad that she's getting more comfortable about it. I was worried that she might never really recover from what happened to my father. It's almost like my going to Hogwarts has…set her free or something.

Blaise has written a few times. And every time I get a letter, I keep remembering what Harry said about him liking me. His letters don't give me any clue, though. Just friendly letters about what he's been doing, and that he used some of the hair dye I got him, and he can't wait to show me something. I wrote back asking him what it was, but he won't tell me. He says it's a surprise.

He asked to come over, or have me visit him, but for fear of the truth being found out, I lied (which is much easier on paper, where I can't see him) and told him I was too busy. Which isn't entirely a lie, actually. I _am_ busy, helping Mum, but I'm just so…bored. I've read all of my Hogwarts books a few times (including the time before school had even started), I've nearly finished all of my holiday homework, and I'm itching to go to Diagon Alley to buy my new school supplies. But I haven't gotten my list yet and Mum says we should wait a few more weeks anyway.

Hermione wrote too. She told me about how her summer's going, as she was spending it in France. She had gotten all kinds of good information about the local wizards to add into her homework, and also mentioned that the summer dress I had given her has become very useful, seeing as France's summer heat is nearly unbearable at times.

I wrote her back, telling her how I was doing, and that I almost couldn't wait to get back to school, even though that means I'll have to start dealing with Draco again.

Oh, Mum's calling me. If anything exciting happens, I'll write it down. But I have a feeling nothing will.

* * *

I just got back from Diagon Alley today, and I saw Harry! God, I didn't realise how much I missed talking with him, until I saw him again. I was walking down the alley with Mum, on my way to the next shop, when I heard a familiar tenor. Whirling around, I saw him, standing by Flourish and Blotts, talking to some of his friends. He looked at me and gave a slight nod, so I continued on, looking back at him as I walked into the Apothecary's. 

A few minutes later, as I was waiting for the apothecary to get my supplies, I felt a tap on my shoulder and, knowing exactly who it was, I turned around, threw my arms around him, and pulled him into a hug.

"Harry! Oh my god, it's _so_ good to see you!"

He staggered slightly under my sudden weight but hugged me back. "It's good to see you too."

I called Mum over. "Mum! Hey Mum!"

Walking over, she said, "Yes, Dear, what is it?"

"Mum…I want you to meet Harry Potter."

Mum looked at him for a moment before smiling. "Harry Potter…it's a pleasure to meet you." She shook his hand.

"The pleasure's all mine, Mrs. Harrell."

My mum's smile got wider, but she said, "Although I'm afraid I wasn't aware you knew Raven…" She trailed off and looked at me.

I looked at the floor. "Er…yeah. We met, last year."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Um…do you remember that shirt I asked you to make?"

"Yes…"

"Well, that was for Harry, Mum. Not Blaise."

"You lied to me?"

Harry started fidgeting next to me. I could tell he was slightly uncomfortable with the situation. I responded, "Well…yes, I guess I did. I'm sorry Mum. I didn't want to, but I wasn't sure how'd you react to my friendship with Harry."

My mum regarded us for a moment. "We'll talk about this a bit later, I think, Raven. Where you will tell me all of the details of what has been happening without my knowledge."

"Yes, Mum." I felt truly chastised.

"If you'd like to take a break from shopping, I'll meet you back at Flourish and Blotts in a half hour." She said.

I smiled. "Thanks Mum!" I gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and walked out of the shop with Harry.

"I'm sorry if I got you in trouble with your mum," he said.

"No, it's alright. I should have told her. She doesn't know how much you know. In fact, I haven't even told her about who killed Da. I don't think I ever will. I don't want her to be any more worried about me than she already is. Especially since Sirius Black has escaped. Have you heard about that?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I have. I hear he was a follower of Voldemort. I wonder what he's going to do now that he's escaped." I didn't have anything to say to that, but Harry said, "So, do you want to come back to my room at the Leaky Cauldron? There's a better chance that we won't be seen or overheard."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sure…but why are you staying there?" I asked, as we made our way to the back entrance of the pub.

Harry then quickly related his story about how he blew up his uncle's sister by accident, and then had to run away, but then the Knight Bus took him to the Leaky Cauldron. He said that he didn't get in trouble from doing underage magic, but that the Minister of Magic himself had confined him to Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron.

"Blaise was right about you," I said when he was finished, as we walked into his room.

Harry was immediately on guard. "What did he say?"

"That you're a trouble maker," I smirked.

"Hey, trouble finds me, not the other way around."

"Sure…" I mocked.

But Harry just rolled his eyes. "So, how's your summer been?" He said, while sitting down on his bed.

"Oh, alright." I said as I sat down next to him. "Pretty boring, actually. I've been helping Mum with sewing and bookkeeping and stuff, but it really sucks not being able to do magic. I've finished all my homework, and I can't talk to any of my old friends from primary, because all they want to talk about is Hogwarts. Not that they know anything about it, but they want to."

"I know how you feel. Not that I have any friends from primary, my cousin Dudley took care of that, but my uncle forbids me from talking about it. In fact, before I came here, I had to do my homework in secret."

"Really? That sucks."

"Yeah."

"So you excited about school?" I asked.

"Yes. I can't wait to see Ron and Hermione. They both gave me really cool birthday presents, and I still need to thank them."

"Your birthday? When is it? Oh, god, now I feel bad that I didn't get you anything."

"No, it's alright. I don't mind, you didn't know. But for future reference, it's July 31st."

"Oh, you're a Leo then."

"A what?"

"A Leo. It's a sign of the Western Zodiac. Haven't you ever heard of a horoscope?"

"Er…maybe. I'm not sure, I didn't get out much before Hogwarts."

"Oh, well a horoscope is like…a prediction of the future. Some are detailed, down to the day; others are more vague and span longer periods of time."

"So it's like Divination? I'm taking that this year."

"Oh? Well, maybe you'll learn more about it. But basically, the Western Zodiac is a way older civilisations divided up the sky, based off of the constellations, or, every 30 degrees. From the 20th or 21st of every month, to the 20th or 21st of the next month is a different sign. Since you were born between July 20th and August 21st, you are a Leo. The symbol for Leo is a lion, and it's considered to be a 'fire' sign. Each sign corresponds to its constellation in the sky and an element-earth, water, fire or air. Your sign can tell you a lot about what kind of person you are, although some people who study the zodiac have slightly conflicting views about each sign."

Harry stared at me with wide eyes. "Don't do that again. You sounded way too much like Hermione there for a second. And I only need one of her in my life."

I laughed. "Sorry. It's just something I've always been interested in."

"So…what sign are you?"

"I'm a Taurus. I was born May 3rd. It's an earth sign."

"Hmm…this sounds kinda interesting. Maybe I'll like Divination."

"Maybe." I looked at my watch. "Oh, it looks like I've got to go." I stood and headed to the door. "I'll see you around Harry."

He stood too and gave me a quick hug. "We'll…have to figure out some way to see each other this year. I don't think sending owls will work. I think Hermione was getting slightly suspicious, because I never get owls."

"Okay. Well…how about some sort of signal…or…I don't know. I'll do some research, and ask Mum if she knows any spells to alert another person or something."

"Okay. I'll see you, Raven."

"Bye, Harry." And I left him in his room and went back to Mum.

Mum and I talked as we went home today, about Harry and our relationship, and how we'd been talking…let's just say she wasn't too pleased. I think she was a little hurt too, that I felt like I couldn't tell her about Harry from the beginning. I couldn't give her a reason. I think lying was becoming second nature to me, being in Slytherin and all.

When I asked her about any charms we could use, she lectured me on the morals of sneaking out of the common room at late hours, and how I should be sleeping, but realised that I'd probably do it anyway, and she'd rather I be safer about it (although she seemed pleased to hear that Harry had an invisibility cloak to help.)

"You're not even a teen yet, and you're already being rebellious." She said.

"Mum, you know that I'm more mature than those stupid older giggly girls that we saw in Madam Malkin's today."

"Yes, I know. My little girl's growing up so fast."

"Ma…"

She chuckled. "Well, I do know one charm that might help you. It's kind of like a whispering in the ear. I'll write it down for you, but basically, you say the initial incantation, say what you need to say, addressing person, and then say the final incantation, which sends it to the ear of the person you addressed it to. Only that person will hear it."

"But what if there was more than one Harry at school?"

"That's the tricky part. You have to address the person and visualise them in your head, or else it won't work."

"Hmm…okay."

"I'll demonstrate for you when we get home. I'm a little rusty, but at least you'll see what I'm talking about."

"Cool."

The rest of the ride home was uneventful, and when we got home, Mum demonstrated how the charm would work. I don't have an owl, nor am I anywhere near one I can use, so I guess I'll just have to use the charm when we get to school, and hope that Harry doesn't think he's hearing voices again.

* * *

Okay, so now it's September 1st. Today…was the most bizarre and scary day I've had. Well, in a long time, anyway. 

It started with the train ride to Hogwarts. I briefly saw Harry, Hermione and Ron at King's Cross. And while they didn't say anything to me, Hermione gave me a small smile, and Harry gave me a quick wink before, whom I'm assuming was Ron's mother, gave him a kiss. I smiled at that and climbed aboard, finding an empty compartment.

The next second, Pansy, Blaise, Theo and Millie burst in, all talking excitedly. Pansy gave me a quick hug and asked how my summer was; Millie grunted a greeting, and Theo gave me a 'hey.' But it was Blaise that I was staring at.

He had definitely used that silver hair dye I got him…his spiky hair was frosted in it, and it kept shimmering magically. But it was his ear I was gaping at.

"Blaise…is that an earring?" I asked, my eyes wide, staring at the small blue ball on his left lobe.

He grinned widely. "Yep! My dad let me get one for my birthday this year."

"But you're only thirteen!"

"Yeah, I know. Isn't cool? I saw a muggle picture of some guy with one on our way home from King's Cross at the beginning of the summer, and I knew I wanted one."

I raised an eyebrow, but then I smiled. "Somehow…it fits you. I like your hair, by the way." I said as I sat down next to the window.

"Yes, I'm so glad you got me that dye. I still have tons left, too. It lasts much longer than I thought," he replied, sitting down next to me.

"So, your dad let you pierce your ear…doesn't he think that's girly or uncultured and rebellious or something?" The train started moving, and everyone settled in their seats, Pansy and Millie chatting idly (or more like Pansy, really), and Theo just looked out the window.

Blaise shrugged. "A little. It took some persuasion from my mum. She'll let me do nearly anything. My father let me as long as I promised not to pierce both ears, and if I took it out when we had family gatherings and important guests over."

"And your hair?"

"Yeah…he wasn't too happy about that either."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get you in trouble with your parents."

"No, it's ok. He just cast a glamour charm on it to make it all black again. It wears off after a few hours."

"I see."

As the train headed north to Scotland, we talked about what we had done over the summer. The sky had darkened outside, and it started to rain heavily. At one point, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle walked in, and proceeded to take over the spot light. The first thing I noticed about him was his hair. It wasn't slicked back like it normally was, and it seemed a little bit longer too, falling just to his ears, and framing his cheekbones nicely. He still looked elegant though, and stood there with a superior indifference. I had hoped I could avoid him until the feast, but no such luck.

"Hello, everyone," he said in a bored tone.

"Ooh, Draco, I like your hair!" Pansy squealed, and Draco just gave her a 'devil-may-care' smile.

Scanning the group, his eyes caught mine and narrowed at the space between Blaise and me. "Crabbe, Goyle, why don't you sit next to Millie. Blaise, move over, I need to sit down."

"But there's plenty of room next to Pansy…" Blaise said, gesturing to the space on the other side of him.

"Exactly, which is why you can move over." Blaise begrudgingly shifted over, and Draco sat down between us.

"Raven," he addressed.

"Draco," I addressed back, looking out the window.

"I'll take it that you haven't had any more dreams about me?"

"Who would want to dream about you in the first place?" I snapped back.

"Watch your mouth, Harrell."

"Or what? You'll hex me? I don't think so, Draco. You don't want Professor Snape giving you a detention, do you? 'Cause then you won't be his perfect student anymore, will you?" Draco's eyes narrowed. "Isn't that what you are? Or is my information incorrect?"

"You know nothing, Raven."

"I suppose," I said sarcastically.

I saw Draco open his mouth to speak, but then the train started to slow down, and then it stopped. We all looked around in confusion but when the lights went out, Pansy shrieked at the sudden darkness. I felt Draco shift closer to me, pressing me against the wall. My heart was hammering in my chest, as we sat there in silence, before a strange feeling started coursing through me. I felt cold. Very cold. It seemed to be exploding from my forehead, and I cried out in pain, clutching my head. My brain felt numb.

"Raven?" Blaise asked. "Are you alright?"

"N-no…" I said weakly. A wave of nausea washed over me and I pitched forward, before I felt an arm holding me back against the seat.

"Harrell? Harrell, talk to me." I vaguely heard Draco's voice near my face, but it sounded so far away. All there was the intense cold. It was washing over my body and I couldn't think straight.

"I just…I just…" and all I remember after that is black.

-----

I woke to a pleasant warmth and a rhythmic rocking. I opened my eyes and realised a few things all at once: the train was moving again, it wasn't dark in the compartment anymore, and I was in someone's arms. Blaise's to be precise. I was laid out on one bench, and Blaise held my torso in his lap.

"Raven! Oh thank goodness, you're alright," I heard him say when I opened my eyes.

"Blaise…what…what happened?" I blinked. I still felt horrible, but the cold was gone.

"We-we don't know. The train stopped, and then you screamed like you were hurt, and no one knows why. You eventually fainted, but Draco made sure you didn't fall on the floor, before running out of the compartment. That was just before the dementors arrived."

My mind was still muddled, and so I asked about the only thing that seemed to make any sense. "Draco…?"

"Yeah."

I shifted in Blaise's embrace. "Where…where is he now?"

"I'm right here," Draco said, coming through the doorway, looking slightly shaken. "I went and asked down the train when the dementors got here; they were looking for Sirius Black." He looked straight at me with an unreadable expression.

"Dementors?" _Blaise mentioned something like that too…_

"They're the guards of Azkaban," Draco explained.

"Oh…that's right…" I lied, like I was just remembering. _I'll have to remember to look that up. _Looking at Draco I said, "Thanks, Draco. For making sure I didn't fall on the floor."

He raised an eyebrow. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again. You're heavy."

From my position in Blaise's lap, I saw him roll his eyes. "No, you're not. Draco's just a wimp." I giggled at that, and heard Draco snort. When I moved to sit up, I cringed slightly and rubbed my forehead.

Blaise still looked at me worriedly. "Do you know what happened, Raven? Why you fainted?"

Crabbe said, "Maybe it's because of the dementors. Those things are right nasty."

"Shut up, Crabbe." Draco snapped. "You're just a pansy." When Pansy shot him a look, he muttered, "No offence, babe." In a clearer tone he said, "Besides, she passed out before the dementor got here."

I shook my head. "I have no idea why I fainted," I answered to Blaise's question. "I just felt…really cold, and then sick to my stomach…and then I think I passed out."

"Do you want anything to drink? Or eat?"

I shook my head again. "No, I think I'm alright now. I just need to sit still for a while."

"Okay."

I sat on the bench between Blaise and Pansy, who just stroked my long hair in a comforting manner. I smiled slightly at her, to let her know it was appreciated, before leaning back into the seat. Theo had moved to sit beside Pansy, and Crabbe, Goyle and Millie all sat across from us. Draco remained standing, leaning against the doorframe, before moving to stand at the window.

The rest of the train ride went on in relative silence, which was mostly broken by Crabbe and Goyle whining about wanting to get to Hogwarts, so they could start the feast. Draco finally just snapped at them to go find the fat witch with the trolley and get some sandwiches, and once they lumbered out, the pale boy nearly threw himself in the seat across from me.

"I'd thought I'd never get to sit down," he grumbled.

But Blaise said, "Why didn't you just tell one of them to move?"

"And have them stand over me? I don't think so. The slightest wobble of the train would have had them falling over and squashing me to death. I'd rather not chance it. I am much more graceful than they are." He flipped a lock of hair out of his eyes, and looked out the window. Not that he could see much, it was still pitch black outside, and the rain still hadn't let up.

I looked at him a minute before I asked, "Why do you keep them around, Draco? It doesn't seem like you like them much."

He shot me a scornful look before replying, "You're right. I don't really. They're not totally bad blokes, but while it's nice to have unofficial body guards, and they don't seem to mind the job, I'd kill for better company sometimes."

I raised an eyebrow. "Like who? Us?" I gestured to everyone in the compartment.

He raised an eyebrow of his own. "Perhaps."

"You're odd, Malfoy."

"And you're one to talk?" he retorted.

"Touché."

What I think Draco's problem really was was that he absolutely loved lording it over the two oafs, and even us to a degree. He liked having that sort of power over people, regardless of whether or not it was earned. Although I didn't succumb to it, we all knew that we'd rather be on his good side than his bad; well, everyone else felt that way. I couldn't care less, as long as he kept his mouth shut about my family. But I could tell he was being truthful. He liked the power, but after a few years of it, he was starting to see the bad side of not having real friends. And to be honest, I don't think _he_ even realised what underlying meaning his words had.

And then again, this _is_ Draco Malfoy and I could be reading into things too much. I tend to do that.

We were silent until the train stopped in Hogsmeade, and Crabbe and Goyle came back just before we exited the train. We stepped out into darkness, only lit up by a few small glows from lanterns. It was still raining, although not heavily, and the eight of us broke in half to fit into the horseless carriages that would take us to Hogwarts.

I noticed, as we passed the school gates, the hooded figures standing sentry, and felt another wave of nausea wash over me. But it passed, and I was only too happy for that.

When we got up to the doors of the school, I heard Draco say, "You _fainted,_ Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually _fainted_?"

_Oh, great. Here we go again._ I looked over to see Draco facing off Harry, who was trying to get up the stairs and into the school.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Ron said.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley? Did the scary old dementor frighten you too, Weasley?" Draco taunted, just before a quiet, older voice said,

"Is there a problem?" as I walked up the stairs, I looked back to see a man, looking quite bedraggled, gazing at the situation calmly.

Draco seemed to look at the man's dishevelled state before saying, "Oh no—er—_Professor._" And then I heard him lead Crabbe and Goyle up the steps behind me.

Once we got situated at our table, I said to Draco, who seemed to like sitting across from me I noticed, "Why'd you make fun of Potter? I fainted too."

"Yeah, well I hate Potter more than you, Raven, so count your blessings," he drawled.

"Gee, thanks, Malfoy." I said with sarcasm.

He waved me off. "No problem."

We all watched the sorting, and then listened to Dumbledore give us warnings about the dementors, informing us of our two new teachers; the man from outside, Professor Lupin, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and the gamekeeper, Hagrid, the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Not that it meant much to me…I was only a second year.

It wasn't until after the feast had started, that I looked across the hall for Harry. As I looked at him, looking very happy about Hagrid's appointment, I couldn't help but stare at his scar. Normally, I hardly noticed it at all…it was just a part of Harry, no different than his green eyes or his black hair. But tonight…

I resolved to use that charm my mum had taught me to see Harry that night. So excusing myself to the loo, I walked out of the hall and stopped just outside, keeping at an angle that the Slytherin table couldn't see me, but I could see Harry. Muttering the first incantation, I concentrated on Harry's face and whispered, "Harry, meet me in our usual meeting spot, 11 pm. I have to tell you something." Then I said the final incantation, and watched Harry, to see if it worked. About five seconds passed, before I saw Harry stop chewing his food, and his head snap up slightly. I watched as he glanced around the hall, and then look across towards the Slytherin table, searching for something. Just as it looked like he was about to give up, a puzzled look on his face, I walked back into the hall, a smile on my face, happy that it worked. I didn't look over to Harry, so as not to alert suspicion, but as soon as I sat down, I caught his eye, and he knew that I was the one to send the message, and gave me short nod.

Perfect.

So, I'm off to see Harry in an hour. Let's just hope I can get out of the common room alright. It probably won't be much of a problem…Snape sent for me, anyway. Goddess, I hope this year is better than the last.

But with those dementors everywhere…and that weird thing that happened on the train… If my suspicions are correct, this year's going to be worse.

* * *

_A/N: I hope you all liked this chapter… It's a little longer than the ones I normally write…about twelve pages…when my normal is seven. I think part of that has to do with my other story, _The Bet,_ where I usually write anywhere from ten to thirteen pages a chapter. :P Anyway, tell me what you think, and…I also have a yahoo group, where I'm keeping my stories, and as soon as I get them finished, some artwork for them. (But if you want to submit fanart or something, let me know!)There's a poll up there…it's the same one from earlier, and if you've already told me what you think, tell me again on the yahoo site. I think it's more fun that way! The site is: groups. yahoo. com/ group/ raesmusings (remember to delete the spaces!) and it's on my user page as well. Just click the homepage link._

_And…as sort of another poll, but more like that I just want to know…I want you guys to tell me what YOU think is going to happen to Raven this year (or any other year, for that matter). You never know…I may just add it in… Love and huggles to you all! I love you!_

**Review Responses: I'm not sure who I all responded to last time...and since ONE of you reviewed, like twelve times... :P**

**SmileyFace3: **You know I'm talking about you! lol No, I enjoy getting reviews from you, so it's no big deal. I hope you like this chapter!

**DarkKestrelArwenSilkeQueen:** Yeah, they're a little young...but I knew people who were dating then too...and I had my first boyfriend at twelve... And remember, Raven said that Blaise probably thought it was more of a date than it really was. She was just happy to hang out with someone who didn't hate her... But anyway, as far as their maturity goes, part of that is just me. I've been reading the books to try to keep Harry and Draco at they're current mind-set and age..but it's hard. Part of it is also just the way the story is being told. By Raven. Basically, it's an older Raven re-reading her old journals, and re-writing her memories, with a larger vocabulary, and a more mature look at things. The dialogue is the hardest part to write...to keep it younger sounding, but still have the story sound like it's being written by someone who's _not_ a pre-teen. But then again, I was pretty mature for my age back then, and no offence to anyone out there...but I feel like the mental capacity of your younger generation is declining. But anyway, hopefully, everything is coming across alright. If not, PLEASE let me know! :D Oh, and as for who Raven will get together with...maybe it'll be all three? ;) You'll just have to wait and see...

Thank you all, and please review!


	15. Mind Games

**Chapter Notes: **_Er…I had a bit of fun writing this chapter. And I felt kind of bad for splitting this day in two, but the last chapter was getting a little long…Plus, I wanted to add more significance to Raven and Harry's first meeting back at school. _

_Anyway, LOTS of interesting stuff going on this year…hehehe…most of it's already written…I just need to get there. :D So, I hope you all stay along for the ride…'cause Raven's life isn't getting any easier.

* * *

_

**Mind Games**

* * *

"I will have the potion to you by tomorrow evening, Miss Harrell. I trust you still have the runic map?" 

"Yesh, sir." I said around my smarting finger.

My head of house had just taken a bit of my blood, for the potion for my new door, and seeing as it was still bleeding, I was currently sucking on it. I thought I saw a smirk form at the corners of my teacher's mouth, and I took my finger out of my mouth.

"Yes, sir. I do."

"Good. You may go now."

"Thank you, Professor Snape."

Again, I thought I saw a smirk form at the corners of his mouth, but I left before I could think anymore on it, heading down the corridor and turning right, away from my common room.

Skirting away from the pools of light cast by the torches on the wall, I made my way to the meeting place. As I turned another corner, I felt a sense of déjà vu as I bumped into something invisible.

"Harry? Is that you?" I whispered.

There was no answer.

"Harry, don't play games with me, I know it's you."

There was still no answer, and feeling exceedingly paranoid, I kept walking down the same hallway where Harry and I first met. I was almost to the next corner when I was suddenly grabbed from behind and enveloped in a light cloth. Whirling around, I nearly yelled,

"I knew it was you! Harry, you prat!" I swatted him on the shoulder, as he laughed silently.

"Oh, that was great. I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist."

"Yeah, well, you nearly scared me to death! Don't do it again!"

"Okay, I won't," he said solemnly, but he was still smiling.

I gave him a suspicious look. "You promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

Still not quite sure I believed him, I gave him another swat on the arm before giving him a hug around the middle. "You've gotten taller, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Silently, we parted and walked the rest of the way to the broom closet, where we closed the door, discarded the invisibility cloak, and put up the usual spells. Sitting down knee-to-knee Harry asked, "So, what did you need to tell me?"

"I overheard Draco say that you fainted on the train."

A scowl came over Harry's face. "Yeah, I did."

"Was it because of a dementor?"

Harry nodded, wrapping his arms around himself. "Yeah. It was…horrible. I just felt so cold all of a sudden, and then I heard someone screaming…and then I guess…I fainted." He looked back up at me. "Why do you ask?"

"Because…I fainted too."

"Really?"

"Yes, but…there was no dementor. I fainted before the dementor came to our carriage."

"You did?"

"Yes, and…this is going to sound really odd, Harry, but I think I fainted because of you."

"What? How?"

I wasn't quite sure how to describe what I meant, so I raised my left hand and reached out to touch Harry's scar. I traced it again, wondering, if what I thought was true _was_ true, what it meant. Lowering my hand, I caught Harry's green eyes with my own, and finally said,

"I felt cold too. But it came from here," I touched my forehead, just above my right eyebrow, right where Harry's scar was on his own. "I felt cold, and then sick to my stomach, and then I passed out. Blaise told me that the dementor came after that."

"So you…you think that you fainted because…because _I_ fainted?"

"Yes, I think so. I'm not sure how I know, I just do."

"And you're sure? I mean, are you saying that…whatever strange connection we thought we made last year is…is real?"

I nodded. "Yes, that's what I'm saying." After a few moments of silence I said, "Look, Harry, there really isn't any other explanation. I mean…there have been plenty of times last year where I felt like I knew something, but didn't know why. Like when Ginny went into the Chamber of Secrets, and all of the students were supposed to go back to their dormitories, I had first thought that something might have happened to you, but I somehow, I _knew_ I was wrong. And later, afterwards, when I heard that you _did_ go down there, I was worried again about if you were okay, but _again_ I _knew_ that you were fine."

Harry looked down to his lap. "Yeah. I remember you telling me something like that last year. So maybe then…it is real. This connection we have."

"Yeah. Maybe it is. Does it scare you?"

"No, it's just odd, is all. And I don't want you fainting because of me."

"Harry, I'm fine."

"But still…"

"Well, maybe we could try and look at this like it's a good thing. Maybe we can communicate through it."

"You think so?"

"Maybe. You wanna try?"

"Sure. But how do we…?"

"Hmm…well, how about I concentrate on a thought, and you…focus on your scar, and we'll see if you can figure out what I'm thinking about."

"Okay."

I searched for thought, and came up with the ear piercing Blaise had gotten and said, "Ready?"

"Ready."

I closed my eyes and focused only on that thought, waiting for Harry to say something. After what felt like five minutes, I heard Harry let out a huff of air like he was frustrated, so I opened my eyes to gaze back at him.

"Did it work?" I asked.

"I don't think so. What were you thinking about?"

"Something about Blaise," I replied.

Harry rose what looked like a suspicious eyebrow, before saying, "Really? Well, I didn't get anything like that."

"What did you get, then?"

"That's just it. I don't think I got anything."

"Hmm, well, let me try it on you."

"Okay." I waited a moment.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready." I focused all my energy on the spot just above my right brow, hoping that I could pick something out. I soon started to feel a little tingling right where my 'invisible scar' should have been, but I got no images, or any words in my mind. I let out a breath like Harry did and said, "It's not really working. I feel a little tingle, but that's it. Maybe the connection's just not strong enough yet."

"You sound like you know a lot about this sort of thing."

"I don't, but there's been similar kinds of things in muggle fiction books I've read."

"Oh."

"Usually it works better over time; like a muscle, it just needs to be used more to become stronger."

"So we should work on it?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Okay. So, I guess you'll need to show me that trick you did tonight. To talk to me?"

"Yeah, Mum taught me that one. That was my first time doing it, actually. I'm glad it worked."

So I showed him, and we were just about to get ready to leave before he said, "I can't believe I forgot! I had something to tell you too."

"What is it?"

"I found out what Sirius Black is up to."

"Really? What?"

"He's coming to find me."

"You?" I had a bad feeling about this.

"Yes."

"And…do what?" I think I was starting to panic now.

Harry sighed. "And kill me."

I stared at him a moment. "You're joking."

"No."

I shook my head. "Goddess…_why_?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but Ron's dad told me that because of what happened to Voldemort, Sirius is basically out to exact revenge. Because his lord's demise was my fault."

"Oh god, Harry. That's…that's horrible."

"To be honest, I'm not scared. I guess I've kind of gotten used to it. Having someone out for my head. I suppose it'll be never ending until Voldemort is somehow gone for good."

I sighed, moving forward and wrapping my arms around Harry's waist, settling myself between his legs. "I just don't want to lose you, Harry." I mumbled into his shoulder. "You're really one of my only friends here. And the only one I can be completely honest with." I paused. "You're my best friend, Harry."

Harry hugged me back. "I don't want to lose you either, Raven. And I hate keeping secrets from Ron and Hermione, but there's just…it's just easier to talk to you sometimes, do you know what I mean?" I nodded. He stroked my hair a little before pulling back. "I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about."

I smiled back up at him. "I'll be fine too. For now anyways. I have friends in Slytherin…for the moment."

Harry smirked. "Like Blaise?"

"Still on about that are we?"

"Hey, you mentioned him first. What were you thinking about by the way?"

"I'm not telling. You'll just have to figure it out on your own," I said as I tapped his scar once with my finger.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll work on it."

I smiled. "I know. So will I."

"Well, we better go. It's well past curfew, and we were even early."

"Yeah, we should go." We stood and left as usual, both under the cloak. When we reached the Slytherin common room, I turned and hugged him again. Pulling back, I looked up at him and realised that I had an urge to kiss him. I had never really been into boys before…they tended to make me nervous. And the last thing I wanted to do was make things awkward between Harry and I. So all I did was give him a peck on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Raven."

Without looking back, I slipped into the empty common room and down the girl's hall to the second door. Entering, I placed a simple locking charm on the door and got ready for bed. Settling into the sheets, only one thought permeated my mind:

This was going to be a _long_ year.

* * *

_A/N: Don't hate me! I know this chapter was short…but it just ended where it wanted to, ya know? I have no control. I swear. This chapter is actually…half as short as the last one. And now I feel like I totally ripe you guys off. But I uploaded two chapters today…and I'll be working on the next one soon. Really._

_And…as sort of another poll, but more like that I just want to know…I want you guys to tell me what YOU think is going to happen to Raven this year (or any other year, for that matter). You never know…I may just add it in… Love and huggles to you all! I love you!_

**Review Responses: None yet, because I just uploaded the last chapter!**

Thank you all, and please review!


	16. Feelings

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything, other than Raven and her history. And this story, minus the excerpts from JK Rowlings books; aka: paragraph three of this chapter.**  
**

**Chapter Notes: **_This chapter…was fun to write, but it was kind of hard too. Not because of what was going to happen, but because my writing style has changed a little bit since I started the story. I think, eventually, I might have to re-write the first part…just to add a little bit to it, not change the story. _

_Anyway, LOTS of interesting stuff going on this year…hehehe…most of it's already written…I just need to get there. :D So, I hope you all stay along for the ride…'cause Raven's life isn't getting any easier.

* * *

_

**Feelings**

* * *

I realised by the end of the week that my thoughts from that first night were correct. The first day of classes…at least for all those around me, was hell. Oh, wait, I meant for _Draco._ That insufferable prat made _everyone_ _else's_ lives hell. (At least, from my point of view.)

First, it was breakfast the next day. I had been seated a little ways away from everyone else, studying my schedule for the new term, when I heard loud laughing coming from down the table. I looked up, watched Draco's impression of someone fainting, and noticed that everyone was not only laughing, but also looking at the direction of the doors, where Harry and his friends were currently walking through. Rolling my eyes, I went back to committing my schedule to memory, until I heard Pansy shriek,

"Hey Potter! Potter! The dementors are coming, Potter! _Woooooooo!_" I glanced over at Harry, to see him stoically sit down at Gryffindor table. Then Blaise turned to me.

"Raven, Have you seen Draco's impression yet? It's hilarious!" Then he turned back to Draco. "C'mon, Draco, do it again! Raven hasn't seen it yet!"

And again, I watched as Draco impersonated 'Harry fainting,' trying my hardest to laugh right along with the other Slytherins. I think I was laughing more at Draco's sorry excuse at humour and what he looked like doing it than _why_ he was doing it. After all, I had fainted too, and it wasn't a pleasant experience at all. But hey, if I had a chance to laugh at Draco, even if he didn't realise that I was actually laughing _at_ him and not _with_ him, I'd take it.

And it wasn't until nearly dinnertime when I heard of what happened in the third-years' first Care of Magical Creatures class.

I was sitting in the common room, working on some homework before supper when Pansy burst in, nearly in tears. Alarmed, I ran up to her and asked her what was wrong.

"It's Draco!" she almost wailed. "He's been hurt! And all because of that stupid, ugly, giant…"

I patted her on the back. "Who, Pansy? What happened?"

"Hagrid! That giant oaf! He…he made us try to be friendly with hippogriffs! In our first class! And now Draco's hurt, and th-there was blood everywhere!" She was now sobbing on my shoulder, and all I could do was raise my eyebrows.

"Is he…is he alright?" I asked hesitantly. "Draco, I mean?" Not that I was worried about the prat. But one had to make appearances…

Pansy sniffled and pulled away from me. "For now, yes. Madam Pomfrey healed him the best she could, but his arm's in a sling now, and it'll be hard for him to do his homework and such, so we're all going to have to help out."

"I see…" I patted Pansy on the shoulder and looked around for a handkerchief. "So…was it only his arm? I mean…he's not disfigured, or anything, is he?" I asked off-handedly.

Pansy looked at me in horror. "Oh gods, no! But wouldn't that have been _awful?_ Oh poor, Draco…Madam Pomfrey said that she healed it so that it wouldn't scar, but he lost an awful lot of blood, and it hurts something dreadful, Draco said. That ugly hippogriff nearly took Draco's arm off!"

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? Wow…"

"I think I'm going to go see him after dinner, would you like to come?"

"I…er…sure, if you want. Although you know Draco doesn't like me all that much."

But Pansy shrugged. "Oh, it'll be fine. I'd just hate to think of him, all alone in the infirmary…Pomfrey says he'll have to stay for a few days, just to make sure he'll regain proper use of his arm. Do you think we should bring him some dessert? I don't think Madam Pomfrey likes giving her patients too many sweets, and sugar always seems to cheer him up a bit." Pansy leaned towards me conspiratorially. "I'm not sure if you know, but Draco's mum still sends him care packages with all kinds of goodies, although I think he tries to hide it, to make it seem like he's not all that attached to his mother anymore."

"You mean…like a momma's boy?" I whispered back.

"Yes, something like that."

_Hmm. This was interesting. So Draco was a momma's boy…_I tried not to let the laughter in my head escape my mouth, but couldn't stop a smile at playing at the corners of my lips. Turning to Pansy, I said, "Well, we'd better get going to dinner, if we're going to visit Draco and still have time for homework." Pansy nodded, and dropped her bag off next to my stuff, and then we headed off upstairs to dinner.

* * *

When Pansy and I arrived at the infirmary after dinner, Madam Pomfrey almost didn't let us in, proclaiming that it was too late and that Draco needed his rest. But Draco seemed to have over heard that someone came by to see him, and told Pomfrey that he could see us, if only for a short while.

"Harrell? What are you doing here?" Draco groaned as we approached his bed.

"Don't sound so happy to see me, Malfoy, people might start to think you like me or something."

"Pfft. Not if I can help it."

Pansy decided it was time to interject. "Draco, darling, how do you feel?"

"Oh…" Draco moaned melodramatically. "Terrible, Pansy. Absolutely terrible. It hurts something awful still."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,' Pansy fretted.

"Can't you just ask Madam Pomfrey for a potion to make the pain go away?" I asked, and Draco shot me a scathing look, before mock wincing while he shifted on his bed.

"Oh, she gave me something like that, but it still hurts."

"Poor Draco," Pansy sighed, and I frowned. Was she blind? Draco was obviously putting on a show! _Good lord, Pansy…_

"Well…" I said, deciding to play along, "We brought you some treats from dinner."

It was nearly imperceptible, but I believe I saw Draco's eyes light up, just before he said in a tired tone, like our visit was wearing him out, "Really? What kind?"

Pansy quickly pulled out a napkin from her pocket. "I brought you a bit of chocolate cake…I know how much you like chocolate. And I also brought you a few cookies…although I'm sure they're not nearly as good as your mum's…"

"Oh…no, Pansy, I'm sure they're not. But it'll do." Then Draco turned to me expectantly, as Pansy put the cake and cookies in the bedside table drawer.

Blushing under the scrutiny, I dug in my pocket and pulled out my own napkin. "I, er…brought you some éclairs and some truffles…there's not a whole lot, but with Pansy's stuff, it should last you until you get out of here."

"Éclairs? _And_ Truffles? Well, Raven…if you keep treating me like this, I just might have to start treating you like a _real_ Slytherin. I _love_ éclairs and truffles. Especially the milk chocolate ones." He held out his hand, and I gingerly placed the full napkin in his palm. A strange jolt had jumped through my stomach at the revelation that I managed to sneak something that Draco loved into the infirmary, but it was surely dampened by Draco's insinuation that I didn't really belong in Slytherin…as if I had forgotten. And, in a way, I had. It was kind of fun trying to sneak food away from the table and into the hospital, and I had nearly forgotten who it had all been for.

Draco put the napkin in his lap and plucked a truffle out of the pile of treats and popped it in his mouth. "Mmm…yes…these are good…"

"You're welcome, Draco." I muttered when he had seemed to think that his mumblings were his 'thank you' to me. He shot me another look, but went back to enjoying his treats.

"Well, Draco darling, I suppose we should go. I'll try to visit you tomorrow too; I can't bear the thought of you being all alone in here and drinking horrible potions and eating mediocre food…"

"Actually, the food's not all that bad," I interjected. "It's the same as what the rest of the school gets, but you don't get a choice…" My voice trailed off at the cutting looks thrown my way. "Er…nevermind. The food's terrible. Absolutely horrible. I hope you get out soon, Draco."

"Yes. I hope I do too. But then I'll have all that homework to catch up on…and I can't do much with my arm the way it is…"

"Oh, we'll help you Draco! Won't we, Raven?"

"Er…ah, yeah. We'll all help."

"Good," Was all Draco said.

Pansy leaned forward and gave Draco a chaste kiss on the cheek before pulling away. "Goodnight, Dray."

"Goodnight." Draco mumbled as Pansy stepped away and turned to leave. He looked to me and said, "You're not going to kiss me too, are you?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "In your dreams, _Dray_," I mocked. Then I too stepped away and started to follow Pansy out of the infirmary.

"But we both know what happens to my dreams, Raven!" Draco called.

I stopped, smiling sardonically and turned back around briefly to say, "Yeah…they always come true." And then I left, Draco's smirking face fresh in my mind.

Once we were both outside, Pansy let out a soft little sigh, looking dreamily out into the space ahead of us.

"You alright, Pansy?" I asked as we walked back to our common room.

"Oh…isn't he just…" she trailed off, before saying suddenly, "I mean, he looks gorgeous even when he's in those horrible infirmary clothes and he's all bandaged up!"

Oh. Draco. I should have guessed.

"Er…I guess so…" I mumbled, not quite sure if she was actually talking to me or to herself.

"Don't you think so, Raven?"

"What?"

"That Draco's cute!"

"I-er…sure. If you like that sort of thing…"

"It's not even that he has a whole lot of money," she kept rambling, "he's just…perfect…"

"Pansy…" I started, "Do you like Draco?"

Pansy let out a little squeak and blush spread across her cheeks. "Yeah…I think I do."

"Oh. Well, good luck with that."

Suddenly, Pansy whirled on me and pleaded, "You'll help me Raven, right? You'll help me get Draco?"

"Get…Draco…?" _Oh please don't let her mean what I think she means…_

"Yeah, you _know_…get him to be my boyfriend?"

_Oh hell, it is what I think she meant. Great. _"I…uh…if-if you need me, I'll try…" But I could feel a rock sink heavily to the bottom of my stomach. I just wanted to avoid the git, for Christ sakes…

Pansy squealed in delight. "Oh thank you, Raven. I know you probably don't like him much…but just you wait, you'll find someone too, and then I'll help you get a boyfriend!"

I blushed. "Oh, er…th-that's alright, Pansy…I'm not really ready to have a boyfriend…"

"Do you not like boys yet?" Her pixyish face marred with a puzzled look.

"What? No-no, it's not that, I just…don't really want a boyfriend right now…or at least, I don't really have anyone I like…" _Except,_ my mind decided to remind me with a flash of memory, _maybe Harry…_

"Oh, that's fine. I'm sure someone will come along. How do you get along with your year-mates?" She asked suddenly.

"Who? You mean…Donnie, Jesse, Ashley and Jack?" and she nodded. "Erm…well, I get along with them fine, I suppose. I don't really talk to them much outside of class. They're kind of…silly…for boys, I mean."

"You mean that they don't seem to like girls much?"

"Yeah. They either ignore me, or try and annoy me, but in a good-hearted way. It's kind of weird. It's more like I'm their little sister or something, even though we're the same age."

"Do any of them already have sisters?" Pansy asked as we approached the common room.

"I think Donnie has an older one…but I think she's much older. Already graduated from Hogwarts. And Jesse has an older brother…he's a fourth year." I turned to the wall and muttered, '_anguigena_' and waited for it to slide completely open.

As we walked in, Pansy asked, "You mean Glenn? Glenn Jameson?"

"Yeah, I think that's his name."

As we entered the common room, Ashley called out from the study table in the corner, "Hey, Raven! Professor Snape wants to see you."

"Right now?" I asked, and the blonde nodded.

I turned to Pansy. "Well, I'd better go see what he wants. I'll be back in a minute." And so I exited the common room again, and quickly made my way to Snape's classroom. I knocked on the door and when I was granted entrance, I stepped inside to see my head of house at his desk, looking at some papers.

"Miss Harrell. I have finished the potion. I assume you remember the proper procedure?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, here it is then," and he beckoned me forward to hand me a large vial filled with the metallic purple liquid.

"Thank you again, Professor," I said, and turned to leave, and just before I got to the door, he called me back.

"Yes, sir?"

"Ashley Harmon told me that you and Miss Parkinson visited Mr. Malfoy this evening. I trust that he's not giving you any problems this year?"

I smirked a little before replying, "Other than being expectedly annoying, sir, no. At least, not yet. I think his first day had put a little damper in his usual routine."

Snape regarded me with smiling eyes and a small upturn of his lips. "I believe that you are the only in-house opposition Mr. Malfoy has, which normally would put strain on most situations, but I think it's rather good. For the both of you."

I'll mention now, that at the time, I had no clue what he meant by that statement. "Sir? I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

He turned back to his papers. "In time, Raven. In time you will." It was obvious that he was dismissing me, so I left.

I walked back to the common room, quite puzzled by the man's words. I mean, didn't the opposition between Draco and I put strain on the whole situation? Wasn't that half the reason he was giving me the vial I now held in my hand? How could that be good? Shaking my head, I slipped the corked vial in my pocket before repeating the password and entering the common room for the second time that evening.

Pansy greeted me from the couch, where her and Theo sat. "So, what did Snape want?"

I took my bag from the chair I had left it in, and sat down, pulling out my unfinished homework. "Oh, nothing," I replied. "I had dropped something in potions this afternoon, and he wanted to return it."

Pansy nodded, and we set to task of finishing our homework. The common room seemed unnaturally quiet without Draco there to liven things up. Not that he was overly rambunctious, but more like obnoxious. To me at least. And when I heard another quiet sigh escape Pansy's lips as she sat on the couch, I finally looked up.

"Is there something wrong, Pansy?" I asked, and the blonde looked startled for a moment.

"No," she said wistfully.

I frowned slightly, and I rolled my eyes when Theo said, looking at Pansy's parchment, "D.M. + P.P., huh? You got a thing for Draco, Panse?"

Pansy blushed, and I said, "Don't get her started, Theo. It was all she could talk about on the way back form the infirmary."

But Theo laughed. "Oooh, Draco and Pansy, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g…"

"Theo!" Pansy squealed in embarrassment. "Oh, please don't tell him, Theo, _please?_"

"But why not? It's funny."

"What's funny?" Blaise said, as he and Jesse walked over to where we were sitting.

And before Pansy could slap a hand over his mouth, Theo exclaimed, "Pansy likes Draco!" And then he was tackled by the girl next to him, and he only laughed, as he fended her off. But eventually Pansy sat back, folding her arms across her chest and slouching down, looking quite flustered.

"Really?" Blaise said, and he and Jesse shared a look.

"How do you feel about it, Raven?" Jesse asked, looking faintly uneasy.

I gave him a puzzled look. "How should I feel about it? It's not like I like him. If Pansy likes him, all the more luck to her. He's a pain-in-the-arse." Blaise and Theo both burst out laughing at my last statement, and I noticed that both Blaise and Jesse seemed to relax somewhat. Pansy looked even more harassed, and so I said, "Why don't we just leave it alone, eh? And if they get together, they get together. No interfering, alright?" And I have the three boys hard looks.

Blaise grinned. "Sure, whatever you say." I gave him another stern look, but went back to my homework none the less.

"Hey Raven?"

I looked up. "Yeah, Jesse?"

"I was wondering…if you could help me with my transfiguration homework. I don't think I understood what McGonagall was saying today."

I nodded. "Alright," I said and got up to go help him. And although I was leaning over Jesse at the table, trying to help him, as well as the other second-years, the only thing that I could really think about was how suddenly _crushes, feelings, and dating_ were getting thrown into the mix of stuff to deal with at Hogwarts. I sighed. And it was only the first day.

* * *

_A/N: I hope the last section to this chapter wasn't too drawn out…but there was just so much to say! Anyways, this chapter was more of an interlude…a set up for the 'theme' of the year (hint hint) and I can tell you that the next chapter will be much more interesting. Much more._

_Also, I wanted to let you all know that, if you couldn't figure it out yet, that updates are obviously coming slower. I don't even have a beta for this story either…although I should. But it's due to the fact that school and work are demanding most of my time. So, while this story is not on the back-burner any more…updates will still be slow…at least for a while. Even more so because I need to beta it myself…which is kind of hard to do, actually. I'm not sure how fast this next chapter will come out…I'm having problems with the ending…and I've kinda skipped over the beginning…god, that makes no sense._

_ Anyway…_

**Review Responses: **

**DarkKestrelArwenSilkeQueen: **Oh, yes…she does sort of like Harry…but why wouldn't she? He's offered her more than she could hope for in a friend. And as for Blaise…I think she's still confused as to her feelings for anyone…including Harry. So, only time will tell if she figures out who she really likes. The heart is a fickle thing sometimes, especially at that age. And those are some pretty good guesses. And yes, I did kinda say that would happen, didn't I? But why, and how will it develop are the real questions… As for Malfoy…we'll see. Maybe, maybe not. But it'll take a while, on anyone's part. And yes, of course she'll learn about Sirius Black. But only because Harry will tell her…I'm basically going off of the canon, here. While Raven interacts with the characters, I'm not re-writing what happened in the books. This is more like…seeing what really goes on in Slytherin…from Raven's point of view, not being just another Slytherin of course. The Slytherin House has it's own shit to deal with…it's not all insulting Harry and being obnoxious. The Slytherin kids are human beings, just like the rest of us…they just hide it better is all. ;P Thank you for your review!

**SmileyFace3: **As to your first review…yes, Raven does have a questionable past…but it's not necessarily dark, and she doesn't necessarily know about it either. If she did, the story wouldn't make sense being written in first person, huh? It'll take time to reveal all that encompasses the reason Raven was put into Slytherin. There's actually three parts to it…do you think you could figure them out? (That was a little personal challenge from me…) :D

And as to your second review…you're guesses are good! I like that part about poking Draco's arm and making him yelp! I'm still laughing at the mental picture… And as for her adventurous side…let's just say that you've sparked a few ideas…I had never seen Raven as the adventurous type, like the Gryffindor Trio are…she's just having a hard enough time surviving living in her own house! But you should be happy to learn that you've sparked some creative juices…I may just have to see where that thought takes me…

You're one of my favourite reviewers…and you always review, too! I hope you liked this chapter!

**Thank you all, and please review!**


	17. Running Into Trouble

**Chapter Notes: **_Okay, because I love my reviewers SO SO much, I'm going to give you the next chapter in this epic! So bow down to your queen, and worship her…_

_OW! That hurt!_

_Okay, sorry about that. My normally dormant ego just kicked in there, ignore her, she's crazy. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I look forward to your reviews.

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_

**Running Into Trouble**

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Draco came back into the fray of school on Thursday morning, where Pansy openly fawned on him, and practically forced everyone to help him carry his books, while Crabbe and Goyle made sure everyone else was just out of the way of their little caravan. I think they were just happy to have their 'fearless' leader back. 

I, on the other hand, was just glad that I didn't have to help him at all. I hadn't any classes with him, and Pansy never bothered to ask me (or demand me) to help. Being in the year below him did have its advantages.

But a few weeks later, when Draco was still playing the pity card, and Pansy was eating it up for all that she was worth, something happened that changed the rather quiet way things had been running.

I was so distracted that particular morning, making sure I had everything in my bag, that I didn't see trouble coming until I ran into it. Literally.

"Oof!" I heard as I rammed straight into a taller male body. I stumbled back a bit, but the other person caught me by the arm.

"Oh! Sorry!" I mumbled, looking up into jade-coloured eyes framed with black. "Harry!" I exclaimed. I looked over his shoulder to see Ron and Hermione, who looked confused, like they were wondering why we were all still standing there, and not quickly moving on.

Harry was holding his stomach, rubbing it slightly. "Hi, Raven," he said, still holding onto my arm. I could feel the atmosphere charge with confusion and tension. It was almost easy to forget that Hermione and Ron didn't know that Harry and I were friends.

We looked at each other for a moment; I think both realising at the same time that we needed to walk away from each other before anyone caught on that we knew each other better than we did. It felt like we had been standing there looking at each other for an eternity, but I'm sure it was only a few seconds, before a voice cut through.

"What's going on here?" _Oh no._

Harry's eyes looked past me, and I saw them harden, before I also turned around to face Draco. Why he was by himself all of a sudden, I'll never know. Maybe he had had to go to the loo…or he finally found a way to fend everyone off for a moment, although why he'd do something like that when he had half of his year waiting on him hand and foot is a mystery to me.

I felt Harry's grip on my upper arm tighten slightly. "Nothing, Malfoy," he responded, his voice hard.

Draco just stood there with a cold sneer. His grip on his shoulder bag was tight-I could see his knuckles turning white. "Raven, what are you doing?"

But Harry spoke before I could utter a word. "Is it really any of your business what she does, Malfoy?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

Hermione spoke up. "You don't own her, Malfoy. She can do what she wants to."

"Not if it involves you, Mudblood." Draco spat. "C'mon, Raven. I don't want you hanging around with this Gryffindor trash." And he moved forward to take me by the other arm and drag me away. But Harry pulled me closer to him.

"Back off, Malfoy. She can talk to who she wants to."

Draco took me by the arm and shook me a little. "Is that what you were doing? Talking to Potter?" He asked, his cold grey eyes boring into me.

If I wasn't already frowning, I was now. "No. I just bumped into him, that's all."

He glared at me a moment, trying to discern if I was lying. Then he stepped back, pulling me with him, "Come on, Raven. We're leaving." But Harry kept a firm grip on my arm. I glanced back at Harry, trying to tell him with my eyes to just let me go, but he wasn't looking at me. He was glaring at Draco as the blonde turned away. When Draco met resistance, he turned back around. "Potter, let her go."

"You can't just order people around, Malfoy."

"Raven understands her place, Potter. She _knows_ not to hang around with people like _you_." He moved his gaze down to mine. "It would be unbecoming of a Slytherin otherwise," he said, his lips barely moving, speaking in a soft tone really only meant for me. I gazed silently back. I knew he was reminding me of my precarious position within Slytherin House. Even if we were the only two Slytherins that knew about it.

"Maybe she wasn't going in that direction, Malfoy," Harry tried, pulling me towards him.

"So what? Either way, I'm walking her to class." And Draco tugged me back towards him.

"Well, maybe she doesn't want you to," Harry retorted, pulling on my other side. My arms were starting to get sore from where the boys had their hold on me. I think they forgot that they were grasping onto a person, and just kept gripping harder.

"It doesn't matter what she wants or doesn't want. She's coming with me," Draco said as he pulled me back.

"I don't think she should," Harry said, pulling on me again.

"Harry, mate, I think you're hurting her…" I heard Ron mumble, looking at the situation with wide eyes.

"Harry, we're going to be late for class…" Hermione said in an urgent tone, obviously trying to get out of this situation. I cast her a worried look.

Harry turned to look at Hermione. "This is more important," he almost snarled.

"Why do you care, Potter? You don't even know her!" Draco almost shouted.

Harry's head whipped back around. "Oh, and I suppose you do?"

I could see the startled looks on Ron and Hermione's faces. "Harry…" Hermione warned.

But the boys both ignored her. "I know her a damn lot more than you do, _Scarhead_." And Draco pulled me to him once again.

But I had had enough. My arms hurt, and I couldn't stand watching Harry and Draco go at it because of me. Although, in retrospect, it seemed like their argument wasn't so much over me as it was over just trying to have one up on the other. So I opened my mouth and screamed, "LET GO OF ME!"

Both of them lost their grips and fell back, as if pushed. Harry knocked into Hermione, who fell into Ron, who struggled to hold the three of them upright. Draco didn't fall, but he definitely staggered back a few steps, looking at me with wide eyes, just like the Griffindors.

"I'm not going with _either_ of you," I spat, twirling around and stomping past all of them, back in the original direction I was going: up the stairs to my charms class.

I was halfway up the stairs when I heard the clap of footsteps behind me. "Raven!"

But I didn't look back. "_Go away,_ Malfoy." But he didn't, and appeared by my side the next second.

"No," he said. "I'm walking you to class."

"I can make it on my own. Besides, because of you, I'm probably already late. As are you. So you might as well just slither off to class, you insufferable moron, who can't tell that he's not wanted."

Draco suddenly moved in front of me, causing me, with my current tunnel vision, to bump into him. He held me by the arms, and I winced as he gripped the bruised flesh.

He didn't notice. "Hey-I did you a favour, Raven. The last thing you need is to have yourself even more tainted by those three."

I pushed him roughly away. "Get off of me, you prat! I don't even know why you care! You hate me, and I hate you! Now leave me the hell alone!" And I moved to walk past him.

But he moved in front of me again. "You're right, I do hate you! But at least I'm thinking about somebody other than myself, here!"

"Oh, that's a change from the norm, isn't it, Malfoy?"

"Just shut up, Raven. Being the Slytherin that you're obviously _not_, you have no sense whatsoever of propriety. And I'm tired of reminding you that we don't consort with those outside of our house, nor do we sacrifice our house image and pride because of how we may or may not feel about those we don't know. Slytherins hate Gryffindors, Raven. And if you want to live until graduation, then I suggest you do too."

I glared at him. I, at that precise moment, knew that I hated no one as much as I hated Draco Malfoy. He was more than the bane of my existence. He was what made this realm my own personal hell. The tension of hatred built within my belly, and threaded out to the very ends of my nerves.

"You're stupid threats don't scare me, _Draco._ I think I'll live just fine, if you _leave me alone._" And with that, I whirled back around, and hurried off to the dungeons, locking myself securely in my dorm for the rest of the day.

* * *

I found out the next day that Draco had gone to all of my teachers and told them that I was sick. And not only that, but he missed his first class of the day, to go around and collect my homework assignments. I don't think I'll ever understand how that boy's brain works. One minute he's insulting me and throwing threats in my face, the next minute, he's being 'nice' and even skipping his class to get me my homework. Like my year-mates couldn't do it for me or something. 

I was sitting in the library that night, working on finishing the two days of homework I had to do (which Pansy was so kind to give me, along with a winded appraisal of Draco's thoughtfulness), when I suddenly felt an oppressive presence behind me.

"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?" I queried, not looking back. I knew who it was. It was like I could feel his very essence.

"Yeah, well, I've never been that great at listening," he said, moving to sit down in the seat across from me.

"Apparently not." I never looked up at him. After a few moments of silence, I finally looked up and asked, "_What?_"

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me out with something."

"No." I replied curtly, going back to my essay.

"No, you don't mind, or no, you won't help me?"

"No, I won't help you."

"Look, Raven. I'm not going to apologise for yesterday. I was doing it for your own good. I can tell that you would probably become friends with them, if you had the chance. I remember you and Granger on the train last year."

"What do you know, Draco? And what makes you think that _they'd_ want to be friends with _me_?"

"It doesn't matter. I was doing you a favour."

"Some favour." I scoffed.

He sighed heavily. "I just need some help getting back to the common room, alright?"

I glanced up. "Why?"

"I've checked out quite a few books, and I need help carrying a few back. They all won't fit in my bag, and my arm is still injured."

"Can't you get someone else?"

"You're the only other Slytherin here."

"So? Why'd you have to check out so many books that you couldn't carry them all?"

"An extra credit project. Because I missed class yesterday morning."

I unexpectedly felt a pang of guilt shoot through me, but I quickly squashed it. "You're just trying to guilt me into helping you, Draco. You didn't have to miss your class. I didn't need you to go get all of my homework for me." I paused, as a thought passed through me. "By the way…how did you know that I wouldn't just skip one class?"

He shrugged. "Just a hunch."

I rolled my eyes. "That's a lame excuse, Malfoy."

He waved me off. "Either way…will you help me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I have no reason to, that's why. And I'm still finishing up homework."

"I'll wait for you."

"I don't want you to. Go away."

"Well, I don't want to. You're going to have to leave the library before it closes, anyway."

I closed my eyes in exasperation, taking a deep breath. _If it'll make him leave me alone…_ "Fine. I'll help you. But only this once. After that, you're on your own. I just want you to leave me alone, and let me go to school in peace."

"You promise not to consort with anyone outside our house?"

My head snapped up. "_What?_"

"You heard me."

I stared at him for a moment, stunned by his audacity. But I rolled my eyes and said, "God dammit, Draco. Fine. Yes, I will, if it'll make your sorry arse happy."

His eyes sparkled slightly and he smirked. "Ooh, mild profanities…I should rile you up more often."

"Draco…" I warned.

"I'm only joking. Get a decent sense of humour, why don't you."

I rolled my eyes, and continued on with my essay, although I found myself distracted by Draco's presence. Finally, after a few minutes, I snapped the book shut that I had been using as a reference, causing a bit of dust to puff out.

"Done?"

"No, but now I can't concentrate. Let's just go."

He beamed, although I'm sure it was only because he had won, in some sardonic kind of way. "Alright."

I returned the books I wouldn't be taking with me, and shoved everything else in my bag. Then I followed Draco over to his own table, where he had a huge pile of books waiting for us. I looked to his bag, which was seated on the chair, stuffed full with books already. Then I turned to Draco.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"No, I'm not. I need all of these."

I sighed, readjusted my shoulder bag, and grabbed most of the books, leaving the rest and the bag for Draco to carry.

"Is that all you can carry?" I turned slowly to look at him, peeking over the stack of tomes in my arms.

"What do you think? My arms are about to fall off as it is, and we haven't even left the library."

But he only rolled his eyes in response and slipped his bag on his shoulder, gingerly lifting the other books. We set off to the dungeons, slowly creeping down the steps so as not to trip, and just as we breached through the first set of passages in the darkened underground, I slowed to a stop.

"I need to rest my arms. They're killing me." I bent down and carefully set the books down on the ground, resting my bag next to them so I could massage my aching shoulder.

"But we're almost there."

"It's just for a minute, Draco. Besides, I thought you were still having problems with your arm?"

A look seemed to pass through his eyes, which I took as confirmation that he had forgotten he had told me that. It only affirmed what I had thought all along; that Draco had been faking it for quite a while.

With a huff, he bent and set his own stack of books next to mine, as well as his bag. "Ok, fine. You've caught me. My arm's fine. Are you satisfied now?"

I smiled, still rubbing my shoulder. "For now." Standing there, in the corridor, feeling the rather light-heartedness between the two of us, I suddenly realised that no matter how much I swore I hated him the night before (and believe me, I'm pretty sure I could feel nothing else) I now felt like that strong feeling had abated somewhat. I really couldn't describe it then, but the feeling had still affected me, and I almost sighed in resignation; I could never really hate anyone. Even Draco. And in some ways, that made me mad. Why couldn't I hate him? He really hadn't done a whole lot to look like a saint in my eyes; threatening me at every turn, making my life a living hell…and he obviously didn't like me anymore than I liked him. So why couldn't he leave me alone and let us just ignore each other, and get on peacefully with our lives?

I realised much later in life, that it was the same reason he couldn't ever leave Harry alone.

He was bored.

He was a pompous git who had a perfect and spoiled little upbringing, and even though he wasn't completely oblivious to his family's acquaintances, he, at the time of his youth, didn't seem to care much about the grand scheme of things; only wanting to be satisfied in the here and now. And being satisfied meant being on the top of everything, like a king of sorts, in control of docile subjects. But he also loved a challenge. And there were always those few 'commoners' that like to bring trouble…and being the puppeteer he was, Draco knew that he could have a lot more fun playing with everyone rather than just getting them all out of the way. Not that he would have hurt or killed us, if he thought the other way. Hopefully.

But I hadn't figured this out yet, in my twelve-year-old innocence, which still wanted to think that there was some good in everybody. And so when he made a sudden barb about my mother, I tried to take it in stride.

"So is your mother still doing menial labour to make ends meet?" He said in a conversational tone, like he had just asked me how my classes were.

"Excuse me?"

"I asked about your mother. Is she well?"

"Why do you care?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Just curious."

But I was sceptical. "No you're not. Why would you need to know about my mother?" A flash of thought, regarding my father's demise at the hands of Draco's father, flickered though me. Before he could speak, though, more almost panicked words tumbled from my mouth. "Is it your father? Does he want to know?"

Draco gazed at me evenly. "Perhaps."

But that vague answer only sparked anger. "I'm not telling you anything, Draco. I don't care what your father wants, he can't have my mother."

"I never said he wanted her, now did I? I think you're putting words in my mouth."

"Then what is it?" I said crossly, putting my hands on my hips. "Or is this just you playing grown-up? I bet you want to be just like your father."

"What, you mean a proud and powerful man, who has half of the ministry at his fingertips?"

"Well, besides the fact that your father probably isn't in the good graces of the ministry right now, considering what he did last year, I'd say no. I meant a _murderer_." I said the word in a cold and dangerous voice, laced with the passion of hatred that was building back up in me again.

Draco's eyes widened for a second before they narrowed in scorn, while his upper lip curled in a menacing scowl. "Take that back," he snarled.

"No. You're just like everyone else in Slytherin, Malfoy. Always trying to live up to Daddy's expectations, but never quite reaching them. All you want is to be just like Daddy. A bloody murderer, someone who kills others and destroys people's lives."

Draco retaliated my words by letting out a snarl and leaping at me, his cool, slim and pale hands slipping around my neck. His body weight forced me to stumble, falling on my back and allowing him to land on my chest, knocking the wind out of me. My arms were trapped by his legs, and he was slightly shaking me with his hold on my neck.

"Don't you _ever _talk about my father again! You understand? I hate you! I _hate_ you! I hate the way you look! I hate the way you think! I hate _everything_ about you! You disgust me! You hear that? _You're disgusting!_"

And I could hear him, but just barely. The ringing in my ears was growing louder by the second, and the pounding of my heart was like a bass drum in my ear. Since my breath was already gone, my lungs burned with no oxygen, and my throat was bruising from the grip Draco had on my neck. Distantly, I could feel the sore spot on the back of my head where it hit the rough stone floor. The pain of not being able to breathe had set my body on fire, and tears leaked out of my eyes, burning freezing paths onto my hot cheeks.

The darkness was creeping into my vision, and when I think about it now, I realise that my life was completely in the hands of another. I had no control, no say. Fate, destiny…they were nothing. I could not control any of it. I was going to die at the hands of another. Life was so fragile…it was slowly slipping away from me, and I was too weak to grasp onto it. Although I know now, my soul was always strong. It was just my body that was too weak.

Then, just as suddenly as it happened, Draco's dark and stormy eyes, which were almost black, cleared. His hold loosened on my neck and immediately, I started gagging, trying to heave air into my lungs, but Draco was still weighing down my chest.

"Oh my god," he choked out, springing up from me and stumbling away. Instantly, I was rolling over, coughing violently, dry heaving, and finally sucking sweet, sweet oxygen into my burning lungs. I heard the quick clacking of heels on stone and when my eyes stopped stinging with tears long enough to see, I looked down the hall to see Draco disappear around a corner.

Rolling onto my back, I lay there for a long moment, dragging in deep breaths, and forcing my lungs to stop burning. I coughed a little, massaging my bruised throat. I swallowed a few times to make sure my throat still worked; I was in desperate need of some water to cool the bruised muscles in my oesophagus. But my body ached as though I had just been through a rigorous workout, and for the life of me, I didn't feel like moving. Not yet. What must have been a minute later, although it felt like an hour, I heard the clacking of running heels on the stone again. I felt too sleepy to move my head up and see who it was, but I prayed that it wasn't Draco.

My prayers were answered.

"Raven! Oh my god, what happened!" A sweet, but terrified voice filled my ears and a beautiful face filled my vision. It was Harry. His arms immediately snuck under me and cradled me to his chest. I opened my mouth to say, 'You really shouldn't be here…we can't be seen together…' but all that came out was a feeble croak.

"Shh…don't talk. It'll be ok. I'm here now." Merlin, he looked so worried… All I really remember focusing on was his eyes. They were so much like mine it was uncanny. "It was Malfoy, wasn't it?" he asked quietly, looking at me with a mixture of agony and anger. Agony at the situation, anger at Draco.

And I couldn't answer him. I just felt so relieved that Harry was there…my secret friend…my best friend…my Harry…

"Raven? Raven!"

* * *

Harry shook Raven slightly, trying to keep her awake, but the stress of whatever had happened had made her pass out. Harry shifted slightly, trying to pull the girl up a bit more so he stand, but her dead weight was just too much for the thirteen–year-old muscle. 

Glancing around, he spotted the books and bags that were piled off to the side. He grabbed one of the bags to rest Raven's head on. Gingerly laying her down, he then noticed the purplish bruises forming on the skin of her neck. _What the hell?_ Hot anger flared in him and he quickly came to the realisation of what must have happened, going off of physical evidence as much as the psychic alarm that pierced his brain about ten minutes ago when he had been returning to Gryffindor tower.

But he didn't have the time to dwell on the reason behind what drew him to Raven. He had to go get help. And since he couldn't carry her, and he didn't know the proper spell to lift something as heavy as her, he'd just have to go find help by himself and leave her here, which was against his better judgement. He checked to make sure her breathing was regular, and brushed her hair out of her face.

"I'll be right back, I promise." He whispered. He stood and made a flash decision that Snape was the closest to the both of them, as well as being her head of house. Maybe Malfoy would finally get what he deserved.

Giving the sleeping girl one last glance, he quickly started manoeuvring through the dank dungeons, in search of Snape's quarters.

* * *

_A/N: Ooh…what's going to happen to Raven? Is Malfoy finally going to get it? Well, you'll just have to wait, because the next chapter's going to take a while. At least a week. Heh heh heh. I'm so evil._

**Review Responses: **

**DarkKestrelArwenSilkeQueen: **I'm glad you like it so much! I hope you liked this chapter…I know you're probably going to be mad that you have to wait. I'm not doing it on purpose. I swear.

Okay, that was a blatant lie. LoL. I am doing it on purpose, but I also know that the next chapter has to be written just right, or everything after that gets all messed up. Anyway, to your comment about Jesse…he looks relieved for the same reason Blaise would. I'll let you sort out the rest. :D

**SmileyFace3: **Oh, I'm glad you saw the subtleness there. Yes, yes…The four other second-years aren't completely out of the picture. Raven spends more time with them than the others…but the others are so much more interesting… ;D

And those are good guesses about Raven's past…but no, Raven wasn't adopted, but her mum isn't telling her everything, either…

And as to your other guesses, about the connection…you were sort of right. It'll develop more within the next few chapters/years, so you'll just have to wait and see exactly what this connection holds. God, that sounds all mysterious, but it's not really.

And…to be honest, I haven't even thought about how Raven will react to Lupin…and as for Harry falling off his broom…well, that'll be coming up shortly, so just sit tight.

**Thank you all, and please review!**


	18. Hidden Evidence

**Chapter Notes: **_Ok, first of all, let me say I'm very very sorry for taking so long with this chapter. (And unfortunately, this probably won't be the last time…) I was having writer's block right at the end…and it was frustrating me that I couldn't seem to get the ending to come out just right. In fact, I'm still not sure how happy I am with it, but at the same time, it just kind of came out of me, too. I've already started on the next chapter, though, so hopefully, the next wait won't be as long._

_Now…let's find out what happened to Raven (although it's probably not as exciting as you'd think…) The next few chapters will probably have more happening…

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**Hidden Evidence

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Draco Malfoy ran through the halls, desperate to get to this destination. "Hurry up!" he snapped over his shoulder to Crabbe and Goyle, who were moving as quickly as their lumbering bodies could carry them.

The second he had gotten into the Slytherin common room, he immediately realised that he needed to get rid of the evidence. The evidence being Raven, lying in the middle of a corridor, probably either passed out or slowly making her way somewhere to tell someone of what he did.

He nearly murdered her.

Just like she said. And that was the painful part; she had been right. His father _was_ a murderer. And in his own rage, Draco had nearly killed someone himself. But he couldn't think about that now. His father was a proud and powerful man, and had probably killed lots of people, all who had deserved it. But Draco wasn't stupid. That fact about his father didn't mean that Draco had to kill. At least not yet. Besides, his father's instructions had been clear: don't hurt Raven or her mother. Got it. But it was much harder than it seemed, Draco thought, seeing as how Raven appeared to want to make things hard on the both of them. And of course, he wasn't going put the blame on the fact that he had irrationally lost his cool. It wasn't _his_ fault. It was that insufferable excuse for a Slytherin.

He rounded the corner, and in a flash of relief, saw Raven lying just where he'd left her. Approaching the scene, he stopped suddenly, noticing the bag beneath her head. Someone's already been here…

All the more reason to get her and get out of here. _Now_.

"Goyle-take Raven. Crabbe, grab the bags and most of the books. I'll get the rest." And the three set to work. "Goyle, be careful with her, dammit. She's not a sack of flour. I don't want her hurt any more than she already is."

"What happened, Draco?" Crabbe asked, slinging the bags over his shoulder and grabbing a huge stack of books.

The blonde faltered for a second. "She-I…she fainted, alright. Now shut up and lets get her to the common room." He knew the two wouldn't question him. They really wouldn't think to. And so the three set off, scuttling down the halls and to the blank slab of stone behind which lay their common room. Now came the hard part.

Draco unconsciously held his breath as they stepped over the threshold, waiting for the irrevocable explosion that was sure to come.

"Hey Draco! What's going-is that Raven? What happened?" Yep. There it was.

Blaise had noticed Draco's earlier entrance; he had been all flushed, and Blaise watched as the blonde conversed and left quickly with Crabbe and Goyle, only to have them return a few moments later with Raven. Jumping up, he ran over to where they were quickly walking across the common room to the dorms and exclaimed his shock. But Draco wasn't anything if not a smooth talker. "Yes, Blaise, it's Raven. Now get out of the way, so I can get her to her room."

"But what _happened?_"

"She fainted again is all. She must have a weak constitution or something." And he elbowed Blaise out of the way and led the way down the girls' corridor to the second door in the hall. Blaise followed them in, along with a few others, curious as to what was going on. He rushed forward to open Raven's door, and Draco, with his arms laden down with books, gestured Goyle inside with his head. "Go in and set her on the bed. You go in too, Crabbe. One of those bags is hers. I'll be there in a minute." Goyle and Crabbe did as asked, and Draco turned to the crowd in the hall. Now was the time to weave the lies. "She'll be fine. She just needs a little rest. I'm going to try and wake her up, to make sure she didn't hit her head too hard or anything."

Pansy looked terrified. "Are you sure she'll be fine, Draco? Should we go get Snape?"

"No. Snape wouldn't want to be bothered by something like this. I'll take care of it. It's probably my fault she fainted anyway."

"How so?" Blaise asked, frowning.

"I had her help me carry some books. Apparently it was too much, because she fainted again, like on the train." Yes. That was good. No one would suspect him…

"Ok…but if you need any help, let us know…"

Draco snorted. "I'm sure I can manage." And he waited until no one but him was in the corridor, before turning to Raven's room and stepping forward to enter it. Needless to say, he was more than a little surprised when he couldn't get past the threshold.

"Wha…"

Goyle turned from the bed, where Raven was laying. "What's wrong, Draco?"

"I…" He tried to step forward again, but it was like there was an invisible but pliable wall in front of him. "I can't get through."

"What?"

"Can't you hear? I said I can't get through the damn doorway."

"But Vincent and I could get through…" Goyle lumbered over and tentatively stepped out into the hall. He passed through easily. He grunted in confusion, and then turned around and tested the other direction. He had no problem walking through.

"What on earth…?" Draco breathed. That's when it hit him. She must have some sort of barrier on her room. And then anger flashed in his mind as his thoughts quickly coalesced into the reason. _Because of me_. "Humph," he finally said angrily, wanting to just leave her there, but knowing that he needed to get rid of the slight bruises on her neck as evidence. He didn't trust Crabbe or Goyle to do it properly though; they would probably sever her head. "Fine," he huffed in frustration. "We'll take her to our room. Crabbe, leave her bag here, but bring the books. Those are mine."

"But which bag is hers, Draco?" Crabbe asked as Goyle bent to pick the girl up again.

Draco rolled his eyes. "The lighter one. Mine's the one with all the books."

"Oh." And now that that was set, Draco let the two goons pass before shutting Raven's room magically with a slam.

They re-entered the common room, and immediately, Blaise was on his feet. "What's wrong? What are you doing with her?" He followed the trio into the boy's hallway, and found that Theo was right behind him, along with Pansy and Jesse.

"I'm taking her to our room."

"_What?_"

"You heard me."

"But-but _why?_"

"Oh, she's got some strange kind of barrier on her room that won't let me through." Draco waved it off as if it was nothing.

Blaise almost stopped short, before quickly scampering into the third-year boy's dorm room after the blonde. "But we've never had a problem going into her room before…I was just in there the other day..."

"Goyle, put her on my bed." Draco directed, then turned to face Blaise and the others that had followed. "Well, my only guess on that was that she didn't put the barrier up because of you. She put it up because of me."

"But…why would she do that?" Pansy asked.

Draco shrugged. "I'm not sure. But Crabbe and Goyle could go through just fine." But the thing was, that Draco had a pretty good idea why the barrier was there. So he couldn't go snooping. _What a sneaky little muggle-lover…_He thought bitterly.

"Wait-" Blaise cut in, "maybe you shouldn't be near her if she doesn't want you in her room…and-and why are you putting her on _your_ bed? Where are you going to sleep?"

"On my bed."

"But-but-"

"Stop stuttering Blaise, you sound like that stupid little first-year Hufflepuff I scared the other day."

But Pansy had the same thoughts. "Draco…are you still going to sleep on it if she doesn't wake up?"

Draco shrugged. "Maybe. It's not like we should keep playing magical beds with her," he said and chose to ignore Pansy's face falling and turning pale.

"You can't do that, Draco," Blaise said.

"And why not? The bed's big enough."

"Because she's a _girl_, and you're a _boy_. Y-you can't just sleep in the same bed! I won't let you!"

Draco sighed. They were not making this easy on him, and it frustrated him to no end that he knew Blaise's real reason for being such a prat. "Look you guys, I'm just trying to make sure she's ok, alright? And all this stupid bickering isn't helping that happen any faster. Now will you please just leave? I promise to make her go to her room if she wakes up."

Blaise glared at Draco, still unsure. "I want to stay here with her," he said.

"Oh for Merlin _sakes_, Blaise. I'm not going to molest her, I don't even like her! She's probably going to be very disoriented, and I don't want too many people around when she wakes up."

"But still…"

Theo seemed to be the only voice of reason in the whole group, and Draco silently thanked him. "Let's just go, Blaise. Draco will make sure she's fine. He's better at this sort of thing."

"I wonder why…could it be because his father probably beats him?" Blaise muttered bitterly, but let Theo led him out of the room. Draco frowned and glared at the spiky-haired boy, but decided to ignore Blaise's comment, knowing that trying to confirm or deny it would only work for him in the opposite direction. Jesse frowned, but left as well, and Pansy gave Draco and the prone form of Raven one last worried glance before reluctantly leaving as well.

Draco turned to the other two cognitive people in the room. "You guys go too. I don't want you getting in the way." His self-appointed bodyguards nodded, and left without a word. Now it was only him and…_her_. He sighed wearily before closing the door. What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

"She's just over here, Professor…" Harry said quickly to Professor Snape, who despite his fast stride, was finding it hard to keep up with the Gryffindor.

Harry had gotten to Snape's office in no time flat, scaring the potions master out of his wits when he burst in. He had suffered a twenty-point reduction for not only that, but for being out past curfew.

But seeing that the stupid boy was obviously hysterical, Snape took a deep breath and decided to listen to him. Against his better judgement, of course. But the second the blasted Harry Potter mentioned Raven's name, the former Slytherin was on his feet, following the thirteen-year-old through the dungeon halls, hoping that the girl was alright.

But when they had turned the corner into the corridor that the girl supposedly lay, suffice it to say, the older man was beyond amused when they found it empty.

"But-" the boy stuttered. "But she was here…with the books and…"

"Mr. Potter." The teacher seethed. "I _do not_ appreciate being made fool of. Fifty points from Gryffindor for playing a prank on a teacher."

"But Professor! She was here! I'm not imagining it! Why would I lie?"

"I don't know, Potter, and nor to I care. Now get back to your dormitory at once."

"But-"

"Another ten. Go. Before I dock more points."

Harry clenched his jaw in frustration. He _knew_ that something else was going on. He _knew_ that Raven had been lying here, in this very corridor. Perhaps Malfoy had come to remove the evidence, he thought bitterly. But knowing that he wasn't going to find out what was going on anytime tonight, he huffed out a breath and turned around, stalking away. He was beyond pissed off. Malfoy was going to _pay_. Somehow.

* * *

To say that I was disoriented when I woke up is putting it a bit lightly. I didn't open my eyes right away, but I could tell by the lack of light against my eyelids and the light snores I heard that it was well into the night. I blinked my eyes open anyway, and found myself in pitch dark. Suddenly registering the fact that I was now laying on my side on something softer than a stone floor and that if I _was_ in my own bed, I shouldn't be hearing snores, I tensed for a moment. Where was I? It couldn't be the infirmary…because the infirmary had windows…but I felt so groggy, and the warmth of the bed around me was comforting, and all I wanted to do was go back to sleep, ignore the soreness in my neck, and worry about everything else later…_maybe Harry saved me…_ I thought as my eyes drifted shut again.

"So you're finally awake," I heard a soft voice say from behind me on the bed. And it _wasn't_ Harry.

My eyes shot open, and my lips parted to let out a startled shriek, but before I could, a hand was slipped over my mouth, and a warm body was pressed against my back.

"Shh…I'm not going to hurt you, I promise," the voice whispered in my ear, and I started shaking, I was so scared. "I know that my word doesn't mean much to you right now, but I wanted to talk to you before you start screaming. Okay?"

I swallowed hard, wondering if I was brave enough to bite his hand and find a way out of the darkness. But I wasn't. So I resigned to nodding hesitantly.

"You promise not to scream?" I nodded again. "Good. This won't take long, I promise." I heard him whisper something under his breath, and suddenly, there was light, from a lone candle sitting on the top of his headboard. Noticing absently that the reason it had been so dark was because the bed hangings were drawn, I moved my elbow back swiftly, catching Draco in the side. When he let out an 'oof' and rolled away slightly, losing his grip on my mouth, I rolled over towards him punched him in the stomach, as hard as I could. Which, from my vantage point, wasn't all that hard.

He recovered quickly, grabbing onto my wrists and forcing me onto my back, while he pinned me down with his body, straddling my hips. Leaning in close to my face he whispered fiercely, "Dammit, Raven! I'm trying to help you here, and this is the thanks I get!"

I glared back at his glowing form swathed in black silk. "_Help_ me? I don't think strangling me to death constitutes as helping me!"

"I wasn't talking about that and you know it!"

His proximity was bringing the memories of my strangulation to the fore of my mind, and my anger was ebbing away, and fear was growing in its wake. "Then what were you talking about, huh? Jesus, Draco, you almost k-killed me!" I was breathing hard, a lump was forming in my throat and tears were pricking at the corners of my eyes. "And then I wake up, and-and it's dark, and I'm in your b-bed, and I just…" The tears spilled over, and started making paths into my hair. I didn't want to cry, especially not in front of him, but I was choked up with emotions. Fear…and the remnants of my anger…I couldn't hold them in anymore. My lower lip trembled and I closed my eyes briefly, opening them to look back up at Draco.

I was surprised to see him looking rather scared himself. His eyes were wide, his lips parted, and I could feel his breath on my face; he was breathing rather quickly.

"D-don't." He whispered.

"Don't what?"

He gulped and whispered harshly, as if he were mad, "Don't cry." We stared at each other for a moment before he said, "I want to talk to you. Is there anyway I can get into your room? Or we can talk in the common room? Just for a little while?" Against my better judgement, I nodded. "Okay. I swear I won't hurt you. I just…need to tell you why." I frowned slightly, but didn't give his last statement much more thought as he relinquished his hold on my wrists and moved off of me.

"Your shoes are on the floor," Draco whispered, before disappearing through his side of the curtains. I took a deep breath before sitting up and swinging my legs over the bed and parting the bed hangings. I used the light from behind me to slip my Mary Jane's on and then stood, pulling the wrinkles out of my clothes. Suddenly Draco's pale head appeared next to me and I started, letting out a little shriek. He put a hand on my arm to steady me at the same time that Blaise appeared behind him. He glared down at the back of Draco's head, and my eyes opened wide at the cold look on the dark-haired boy's face. Draco seemed to sense that someone was behind him, and turned his head. "Blaise," he addressed, seeming not perturbed at all that the slightly taller boy had snuck up behind him.

"Draco. Are you taking Raven back to her room?" Blaise's voice matched his face.

"Yes. She's feeling much better now," Draco said in quiet tones.

Blaise glared at Draco's hand on my arm, but glanced up at me, and I saw his eyes soften. He moved around Draco and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You alright, Raven?"

I nodded. "I'm doing much better now, thank you, Blaise." I whispered nervously. I felt like I was missing something terribly important. I'd never seen Blaise look so angry with someone from our own house.

Blaise nodded at my words and turned to Draco. "I'd like to take her to her room, if you don't mind, Draco?" Although by Blaise's tone, it sounded as if he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

Draco raised a blonde eyebrow, and frowned. "I suppose I don't mind," he started, and Blaise nodded firmly, before moving his hand down from my shoulder and grabbing my hand, turning sharply and pulling me towards the door. Draco, however, kept his grip on my arm, and I was suddenly reminded of the spat between Harry and Draco just…my god, was it only yesterday?

"Wait," Draco called, and Blaise stopped, mid-step, but didn't turn around. I looked back to Draco, and he looked straight into my eyes and said, "I'd still like to talk to you later, Raven."

"O-ok, Draco. Perhaps…tomorrow." I just wanted to get out of there. The tension was killing me, and I felt dizzy all of a sudden.

Draco nodded and released my arm, and Blaise and I quickly left the boy's dorm and entered the cool hallway. The cool air cleared my head a little, but I still felt a little dizzy, and stumbled a bit to keep up with Blaise's slightly longer stride. He noticed my falter, and shot a sheepish look over his shoulder, slowing his pace a little.

Once we reached my door, Blaise stopped and turned to face me. "Raven…" he started, but stopped, looking down at our hands. Taking a deep breath, he took my other hand in his and said, "What happened to you today, Raven? I don't buy Draco's crap about you fainting."

I raised an eyebrow. _ So that's what Draco told them…_ But I said, "You don't?"

The blue-eyed boy's eyes flickered up to mine, and I noticed that they looked rather blue-green in the green light of the hall. "No, I don't. He seemed…he seemed to want to be alone with you…to make sure you were ok, he said. But I don't buy it. It worries me. I don't _mind_ Draco, he's an alright bloke…but I…I don't think I trust him sometimes."

I nodded. "I don't blame you. I don't either." Blaise shot me a puzzled look and I said, "But I'm fine, Blaise, honestly. Draco seemed to take care of me just fine, it seems." I smiled briefly up at him, and in that brief moment, something flashed in Blaise's eyes and I found myself wrapped up in his arms, and my face pressed into his shoulder.

"You're my friend, right Raven?"

I felt my face contort in confusion, which I knew Blaise couldn't see. "Er…yeah. Of course, I am, Blaise," and I raised my arms to give him a little hug back.

"Good." Then he stepped back, and said, "Well, we better get to bed, it's late, and I'm sure you need your rest." He sort of avoided my gaze, and looked rather nervous, although in my bewildered state of mind, I couldn't figure out why. So I just nodded and said,

"Yeah. Goodnight Blaise. Thank you for walking me to my room."

"It's no problem," he replied. "Goodnight." And then he disappeared down the hall, and I entered my room, immediately stripping off my rumpled clothes and slipping on my night shift. Falling into my bed, I stared up at the top of my four-poster, and before I could really think on the night's events, I slipped off into a dreamless and restful sleep.

* * *

_A/N: Again, I've already started work on the next chapter, and last night, I had some interesting dreams regarding things that will be happening in Raven's sixth and seventh years…so I'm now quite a bit more motivated to keep going, especially considering this is only Raven's second year!_

_So again, I'll try not to make you all wait a month again (sorry!) for the next chapter. In fact, if I keep going (if I can, with the end of term coming up and all…) I'll try to make the next update two chapters…but I'm not promising anything, so don't hold me to my word…_

_I love you all, thank you so much for sticking with me through my bouts of writer's block!_

**Review Responses: **

**Blinded One: **First of all, let me say I like your name change. (Not that I didn't like your name before, mind. :D ) Now, as for your review…I'm sorry I'm not giving you any answers. I wanted to see if you could figure it out on your own. And seeing as the reason for both Blaise and Jesse's reactions come up later this year, I don't want to spoil it for you, although I almost feel as though I'm being too obvious with it. I'll give you a hint though, if you still can't figure it out. It has something to do with what Harry's insinuated to Raven about Blaise… And yes, I realise I'm evil. I get that a lot, and I am making no effort to change it…I rather like the complement. :D

As to your comment about Raven saying 'oh Goddess' instead of 'oh God' to be honest, that's a little part of me slipping through. (I tend to say that sometimes…it's a little hard to explain without going into a description of my worldly beliefs, but the story just kind of writes itself that way, and I've tried changing it to just 'oh God' and it always sounds wrong.) So, I hope it doesn't bother you or anything, and if you'd like to know more about it, just let me know, and I'll e-mail you. Thanks for reviewing again!

**SmileyFace3: **Thank you for reviewing once again! Yes, I agree about Raven being strangled. I actually put a bit of personal experience in there, to make it seem more realistic…I hope it helped. As for the other second years…to be completely honest, I haven't thought of anything specific for them, other than Jesse, which I'm sure you've already guessed. But I can't keep ignoring their existence, can I? If you have any ideas, please let me know. I love getting ideas from my reviewers; it makes the story theirs as well. And perhaps Raven actually is a pureblood…but I'm not telling if indeed, that is the case. There are a lot of factors, actually, which will be revealed as the story progresses. And as for Harry, and his revenge on Draco…the next chapter or so will show just what our bespectacled hero will do when the life of his most secret friend is threatened...and how Raven will react to Harry's slightly sudden protective streak. So, I hope that answered all your questions, and I can't wait for your next review!

**Thank you all, and please review!**


	19. Dreading Draco

**Chapter Notes: **_I've left my biggest author notes at the end…And I think all I have to say about this chapter is that it's longer than most. Yeah. Don't mind me, I'm in sorts about this story at the moment…

* * *

_

**Dreading Draco

* * *

**

Apparently, my sleep was a little too restful, since when the shrill alarm went off, I promptly turned it off, rolled over and went back to sleep. I didn't wake until an hour or so later, when I heard frantic knocking at the door.

"Raven! Raven wake up! You're going to be late for class!" I heard Jesse call through the door.

I forced my bleary eyes open, and rolled over slightly in my bed. I was about to croak out an answer, when I heard Blaise's voice as well.

"Raven? It's Blaise. I brought you a muffin and a bit of toast…can we come in?"

I opened my mouth to speak a reply, but all that came out was a feeble croak. My throat was almost sorer than it had been last night, and my mouth was dry. Coughing a little, I cleared a little phlegm from my throat and tried again.

"Yeah. C-come in." And then I flopped back onto my side. I was just too tired to move. I heard the door creak open and the shuffling of cloth and shoes as the two boys entered the room.

"Raven?" Blaise asked. "Are you ok? You're not sick again, are you?" He moved around the bed to the side I was facing, crouching down in front of me, a worried look on his face.

I scrunched up my eyes and nose at him and whispered, "Maybe. I feel like shite. My throat really hurts." I opened my eyes again to see his frown deepen.

"Maybe you should just stay in bed then. Do you want to go see Madam Pomfrey?"

I shook my head no, as my eyes drifted shut again. I felt him pat me on the head a little and he said, "Okay. Do you need anything else? Jesse will get your homework for you, won't you, Jesse?"

I heard an immediate affirmative at the foot of my bed. "Absolutely. Anything for Raven."

I opened my eyes a crack and whispered, "Could I have some water before you go?"

Blaise smiled. "Sure." He looked over to the other boy. "Jesse?"

"I'll be back in a minute." And then I heard him leave.

"I'll leave the muffin and toast right here on your bedside table. In case you get hungry later." And I watched as he placed the breakfast foods on the wooden table next to my head.

"Thank you, Blaise. You're really too nice to me."

He smirked. "Well, someone's gotta be." And he looked away, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, 'because we all know that prat Draco isn't.'

Jesse walked in the next second and finally came into my field of view. I suppose I've never described him before, so let me do so now. Jesse's a rather scrawny boy, still in his pre-teen awkwardness before puberty kicks in. He has a cute mop of curly dark hair atop his head and bright hazel eyes, which underneath lay a rather charming smattering of freckles. Of course, in my sleep-muddled mind, I didn't notice this so much as I did the cool-looking glass of water he held in his hand. He handed it to Blaise, saying,

"I couldn't find a glass, so I had an older student transfigure one of my quills."

"Thanks, Jesse," Blaise said, taking the glass and turning to me. "Would you like some now?"

I nodded, and shifted to sit up a bit, Blaise helping me with his free arm. He held the glass to my lips, tilting it slightly, and I sipped it a little, allowing the refreshing liquid to drench my parched mouth and throat. A little dribbled down my chin, and Blaise pulled away, chuckling slightly as he used the back of his finger to clean it up.

I smiled wanly. "Thanks, Blaise," I said, my voice already sounding stronger. "I really needed that."

"No problem. I'll come check back on you at lunch, how does that sound?"

"I'll come too," Jesse piped up.

I looked between the two boys, and a strange thought occurred to me: I could probably tell why Blaise was here; he'd shown more than a mild interest in me, so Harry was probably right in that respect. But what about Jesse? He seemed almost…too eager to help. But I dismissed the thought quickly, making a mental note to think about it later, when I was more cognitive.

In answer to their question, I nodded and said, "That sounds great." They both smiled, and left me to rest some more, and as soon as the door clicked shut behind them, I was off to Slumberland once again.

* * *

The next time I woke it was because someone was shaking my shoulder and calling my name.

"Miss Harrell, wake up!" Professor Snape said harshly.

I blinked my eyes open, feeling rather lethargic, but definitely more awake than I had been earlier. "Professor?" I peered up at my head of house, who was standing over me with a sour look on his face.

"Miss Harrell, care to explain why you were not at breakfast, nor at your morning potions class?"

I winced at the man's unsympathetic tones. "I…er…I wasn't feeling well Professor. I'm sorry." I started to sit up, and I as I did so, Snape took the chair from my desk and sat down in it, letting out a slow breath.

"Does this have something to do with Mr. Potter, Raven?"

Startled by the question, I frowned. "Mr. Potter…? You mean, Harry Potter, sir?"

"That would be the only Potter alive and at this school, Miss Harrell."

I blanched. "N-no Professor. I'm not sure why I feel so tired."

The dark-haired man studied me for a moment. "Do you still feel tired?" He finally asked.

I thought for a moment and shook my head. "No, not really, sir."

"Good. I fully expect you to go to your afternoon classes, Miss Harrell. If you have…anymore problems," he let the last word hang for a moment, "Please come see me." And then he stood and left my room, shutting the door behind him.

Flopping back onto my bed, I took a deep breath before sitting up again and easing out of bed. Stretching languidly, I revelled in easing the tension in my muscles. Opening my bedside table drawer, I took out my brush and started working through my long hair. I was amazed at how long it seemed to have grown over the course of the summer—it was now almost to my butt. Setting the brush down, I grabbed the toast Blaise brought me, and scarfed it down, suddenly becoming ravenous with hunger. Knowing that it would be a while longer before I could go up to lunch, I decided to go to my trunk at the end of my bed and grab a towel, my bathrobe, and a fresh pair of undergarments; I was in desperate need of a shower.

The heated water added to the relaxation of my muscles, and I sighed a little before getting down to washing. After realising that I used almost half a bottle of Sleekeasy's Hair Cleansing Potion to wash my hair _once_, I thought that keeping my hair long probably wasn't an option any longer. I couldn't buy a new bottle of shampoo every other day, after all. _Maybe I should cut it…_ I mused, rinsing out my hair and moving on to conditioning it.

In the shower, it was almost easy to forget that I had nearly been strangled to death the night before. It seemed surreal somehow, like a terribly frightening dream that seemed way to real to be just a dream. Although in my case, it really was real.

After my shower, I dried off, put on my undergarments, then the white fluffy bathrobe, and quickly made my way to my room, seeing as the floor was colder than should have been possible, in my opinion. Once inside, I checked my clock and realised that I had spent quite a bit of time in the shower—lunch had just started. I brushed my long hair again, took off my bathrobe and flung it on the bed, bending over my trunk to get fresh robes for the day. Going back over to the bed, I laid everything out, and then grabbed my white blouse; turning to look in the full-length mirror Pansy had gotten for me last Christmas.

I was just frowning at the bruises on my upper arms, which were still apparent from the struggle between Harry and Draco, when the door opened, and I saw a reflection of Blaise's face appeared in the opening—looking straight at me. "Raven? How are you-" At that moment, a few things happened.

I shrieked, he yelled, I whirled around—trying to cover myself up with my shirt—and he slammed the door on his own face. I heard a rather loud yell, and then a nice string of thirteen-year-old explicatives.

My blood was pumping wildly, adrenaline coursing through, and I swallowed hard, scared frozen, with my shirt half-covering my torso.

"Oh my god, I am _so_ sorry Raven," I heard through the door, after a minute. "I didn't mean to…I thought you'd still be in bed…"

Taking a calming breath, I said, "I-it's ok, Blaise. Um…I'll just be a minute."

I quickly donned my school robes and tried to run my fingers through my hair. My stomach was a nervous wreck of knots when I opened the door a minute later, to find Jesse and Blaise against the opposite wall. Jesse had an imploring hand on Blaise's shoulder, asking him what was wrong, and Blaise was leaning against the wall, his hands over his face, mumbling something incoherent behind his hands.

"Blaise?" I asked, very nervous and jittery. My stomach was protesting from lack of food, and was not taking the anxiety very well.

Blaise's spiky-haired head shot up from behind his hands, and Jesse looked between us with a rather puzzled look on his boyish face.

Blaise blushed profusely and pressed himself against the wall, apologies tumbling from his lips like water. He was trying desperately not to look at me, but the obvious sincerity was making it difficult. "Raven, I am _so_ sorry. I _really _didn't mean to, honest. I-"

"_Blaise._" I interrupted. "It's alright. Really. You…definitely scared me, and to be honest, I'm tremendously embarrassed, but I know you didn't mean to."

A look of relief washed over Blaise's face and he averted his gaze, blushing madly.

"I take it Blaise accidentally saw you in your knickers?" Jesse snickered, looking at my wet hair and rumpled robes.

"Shut up," Blaise said petulantly, glaring at the younger Slytherin. "So are you coming to classes this afternoon?" he asked me, still not able to look me in the eye.

"No," I replied, smiling tiredly. "I'm going to lunch. I'm _starved._ Then I'm going to class."

Jesse and Blaise chuckled, and waited for me out in the common room while I went back into my room, brushed my hair _again_, and grabbed my bag. Thankfully, I tend to stay more on top of my homework than most others, and I didn't have to worry about handing in anything late, except for my morning classes.

Getting out of the dungeons was easy enough, but when I got to the Great Hall, I saw a silvery-blond head flashing in the sunlight filtering in from the windows, and a great pit of dread swallowed my stomach full, and suddenly I wasn't hungry anymore. The events of last night suddenly weren't surreal anymore, and I started shaking in fear. Gratefully, Blaise steered me away from Draco, and his arm on mine was slightly comforting, but I could still feel Draco's eyes on me, along with another pair.

Harry's.

I tried to ignore them both, for I knew that Draco wanted to talk to me, and that pit of dread was only growing wider at the thought. And Harry…Harry was probably worried out of his mind, especially when I didn't show up for breakfast, and here lunch was, half-over, and I still didn't feel like I was there. I just stared at my plate of sandwiches and crisps, and it looked so unappetizing that I nearly threw up the one piece of toast I had that morning all over my plate.

Blaise asked me what was wrong a few times, and Jesse made it a point to mention that I had said I was starving, yet hadn't touched a thing on my plate.

Quite unexpectedly, even to me, I snarled, "Stop it! I don't need to two to baby-sit me! I can bloody well take care of myself!" Our housemates around us fell silent for a second, and I got up and stalked out of the Hall, making my way quickly to the girl's lavatory, where I promptly threw up my "breakfast."

* * *

"Something's wrong," Harry said to no one in particular, as he sat there at Gryffindor table. "And it's Malfoy's fault, I know it."

Hermione looked puzzled for a minute. "What're talking about, Harry?"

Harry's gaze lingered at the newly exited hall doors, before sweeping over to a pale head and back down to his own plate. "Nothing," he said dejectedly, a hint of barely controlled malice lacing his words.

Hermione raised an eyebrow, and made a mental note of it.

Ron didn't notice a thing.

"Didja say somefing about Malfoy, 'arry?" the Weasley said, his cheeks packed full of food like a hamster. Harry shook his head and went back to eating, so as to have a reason not to talk.

"Ron Weasley, honestly, that's gross. Please swallow before you talk." Hermione admonished.

And Ron just rolled his eyes.

* * *

The dread that had consumed me at lunch continued to plague me throughout the rest of the day, rising up when I saw Draco or Harry between classes or during dinner, where I still couldn't bring myself to actually put food in my mouth.

The dread was a strange thing. It flowed between a ridiculously strong desire to not get anywhere near Draco or Harry, and a swirling string of thoughts about last night: what could have happened, and what it all really meant for me in Slytherin House, which was beyond maddening.

I couldn't really describe how I was feeling; I just wanted to be left alone. I didn't want to talk to anyone, I did want to eat anything, and all I wanted was for the world to stop noticing me. So I could just disappear and never be missed. If no one noticed me or missed me, than maybe Draco wouldn't either, and then he's leave me alone. It was a strangely comforting thought, not being missed. Although some corner of my mind was exclaiming at how irrational I was thinking; I ignored it completely. I had no other room in my thoughts other than, 'everyone, stay the _hell away_ from me.'

But I couldn't avoid everyone forever. And finally, just before curfew, it caught up with me.

I was in the library, dazedly finishing off that essay that had been cut short by Draco's request the previous night, when a rather large shadow blocked out my reading light.

Without looking up, I said, "Whoever you are, go away."

"What did he do to you?" the quiet voice asked.

My head immediately snapped up at the voice and I hissed, "Harry, get away from me." I darted a look around the vicinity. "It's too dangerous. Too risky. If he finds us…"

"_What_ did he do to you?" the Gryffindor asked again, his voice much more urgent, and lowering in severity. His dark green eyes were focused on me, but it seemed that he was seeing something else.

"Nothing! He didn't do anything! I'm fine! I just want to be left alone!" The dread that had been following me around all day was churning, forming into anger and fear.

As soon as my exclamation left my lips, Madam Pince immediately rounded the corner. "If you two can't be quiet, you will have to leave. In fact, it's almost curfew, and you should be on your way. Now."

I glared over at Harry, and started gathering my things, quickly making my way out of the library. I could hear Harry following close behind. Once we were in the corridor I spun around and said, "Don't you _dare_ follow me to my common room, Harry Potter. I told you to leave me alone. Please see that you do."

Harry's mouth opened in confused shock. "Raven, I don't understand. Has he put some type of spell on you? Why are you acting this way? Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not." And I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm.

"I'm not stupid, Raven. Something's wrong. I can tell." He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "We're secret best friends…won't you _please_ tell me what's wrong?"

I glared at him and wrenched my arm out of his grasp. "_No_. Now go away and leave me alone." I turned and started walking away.

"If he ever lays a hand on you again, I'll kill him." It was spoken so softly, I almost didn't catch it over the clunk of my shoes on the marble floor. But I still managed to pick up the vehemence behind the words.

I paused for a moment before turning back around and regarding Harry with resignation. The pain I was starting to feel was overwhelming, and I just wanted to stop fearing, stop worrying, and stop feeling. "I know," I said tonelessly. "But things are worse now than they were. I'd rather just do what he wants than upset him anymore. I'm tired of always watching my back."

"What exactly are you saying?" And he took a half step in my direction.

Tears sprung up in my eyes as I looked at Harry's face, a face that while not looking all that much like mine, still made it feel like I was looking at the male version of my self. Blinking away the tears, I managed to get out, "We can't be friends anymore, Harry. I'm sorry." Before I could start crying, I turned around and dashed off.

I ran blindly into the common room, ignoring protests and cries from anyone around me or anyone I shoved out of my way to get to my room. Locking the door securely behind me, I threw my bag across the room, where it hit the stone wall with a thunk, immediately falling to the floor. I threw myself onto my bed and cried. I have no idea how long I lay there, tears leaking out from behind my clenched eyelids, screams and sobs hurting my still-sore throat.

After my tears finally abated, and my breathing slowed, I rolled over onto my back, kicking off my shoes and gazing up at the canopy of my bed, although I really saw nothing. I felt…empty. It was a strange feeling, but not unwelcome. I felt calmer now, but still the dread gnawed at me. And other than the dread, I felt nothing. That's why I say I felt so empty. Devoid of all emotion, yet the dread pricked little flashes of losing my only true friend, of fearing for my life, of being completely alone in this big, empty castle.

I kept telling everyone to leave me alone, but yet I knew, in a very deep part of my mind that what I was really doing was crying out for help. But I really did not realise this for some time. It was as if all of me was suddenly dead, or at least dormant, and I saw no way out. I couldn't. There was no rationality to my thinking. One might think that I should have gone to Snape, or Dumbledore, or at the very least, Harry. Any one of them would have helped me. But I didn't want their help. In the long run, it would only make it worse. I can't explain it, even now, after so many years. But I was lost in a sea of nothingness and dread; a depression so deep, that I really didn't believe there was any way out, if there was such a thing.

And I remained that way for the rest of term.

* * *

Harry was fighting a battle that had him torn in two.

One, very clear, distinct part of him was screaming at him to tell Dumbledore, or to confront Malfoy…something—anything—to help Raven out. Talk to Hermione and Ron. They should know.

But the other part kept shooting him down, despite his rage and sorrow at the situation. What proof did he have? Snape didn't believe him, and for just the glimmer of a second, when he had been standing in the empty corridor, he almost didn't believe himself. But he _knew_ what he had felt the night before, he _knew _that he had found Raven on the floor, he _knew _that he had seen the bruises forming on her neck.

He also noticed the lack of them the next day, when Raven had finally showed herself.

He had been beyond livid when he saw Malfoy saunter into the Great Hall for breakfast, and only the complexity of the situation kept him seated at his own table. And then when Raven never showed up…panic took over for rage, and he sat through his morning classes in a fidgety state, not paying any attention to a thing his professors were telling him.

His morning classes were actually a blessing, keeping him from doing anything rash as he again weighed his options. Should he tell Ron and Hermione at least? But what could they do? They'd probably be mad that he had kept his and Raven's friendship a secret, and they had even less proof than he that Malfoy had done anything to Raven.

No, the only person who Harry could confront was Malfoy.

But again, that was a problem. How could Harry confront Malfoy without giving Raven away? Just lie and say that he had seen her on his way back to Gryffindor Tower? No, Malfoy would see straight through that. Harry would have no reason to be in the dungeons that close to curfew. It would only raise more questions, questions to which Harry would have no answers, for they would all be lies anyway, and Harry knew any lies he created wouldn't hold.

So he was back to square one.

Finally, after seeing Raven at lunch, Harry decided to confront Raven herself, to make sure she was alright, and that Malfoy hadn't forced her to do anything she didn't want to do.

Needless to say, it didn't go as planned. She only hissed and shoved him away, which hurt Harry greatly, yet at the same time fury ripped through him as he blamed Malfoy for the whole situation. _What did he do to her?_

And then she flat out rebuked their friendship. And Harry didn't know how to deal with that. He could tell it hurt her, but at the same time, he puzzled over what had become of the girl he befriended. She was never this hateful and angry.

Again, the question rang out through his mind: _What did he do to her?_ It was obvious, at least to him, that Malfoy had tried to strangle Raven…but why? What could she have done to warrant something as brutal as that? Harry kept feeling like something else was going on.

Harry was at a loss. He stared up at the canopy of his bed, swirling thoughts of Raven and Malfoy and the threat of Sirius Black racing through his mind and producing nothing.

* * *

For the next few weeks, I lived in a never-ending state devoid of emotion and controlled by the pit of dread.

Whenever someone came near me, and I could sense that they wanted to ask what was wrong, I either ignored them the snarled at them. I was not a nice person to be around. I vaguely noticed the worried looks around me, and because I was being such a horrible person, I never did get my homework from Jesse. Not that he didn't try, I just didn't care.

I didn't care when everyone realised that all they could do to keep the peace was ignore me, I didn't care when I heard that Sirius Black had tried to get into Gryffindor Tower and kill Harry, and then we all had to sleep in the Great Hall…I didn't care about any of it. I hardly slept—reoccurring nightmares of the night I nearly died kept replaying over and over, keeping me more terrified of Draco than I think I even realised; I hardly ate—come morning the pit of dread would swallow me whole again and I felt as though anything I ate would be tasteless and would do nothing to make any of it better, so why bother?

I'm not sure when I stopped caring so much. I've always tried to be a good student, and make my teachers and my mother proud. But this state of mind I had suddenly plunged into prevented me from giving a damn about anything. My grades were slipping, and it wasn't until Snape made me stay behind one day did I care to acknowledge it.

"Miss Harrell, would you care to explain your sudden lack of attention and finished homework in my class?" He started off in his usual hardened drawl as the rest of the class filed out.

I shrugged in response.

Snape's nostrils flared, and I could tell that he was about to lose his temper, and possibly take more points from Slytherin than he already had in the past few weeks (which was hardly any; and all of which were because of me).

I didn't care.

The last student left and the door closed loudly behind whoever it was. My head of house sighed heavily and sent me a stern look. "Raven, it is not only I, but your other professors and even classmates that have been questioning your recent behaviour. Is there anything you wish to talk about?"

I stared at him for a moment, with a rather bored expression on my face, although I felt nothing. "No, sir."

Snape stood and walked around his desk, coming up to me and placing a heavy hand on my shoulder. Bending down to look me in the eye, he said gravely, "Raven, I do not normally get involved with the affairs of my students, but I feel that there is something severely amiss regarding you, and perhaps a few others. I am not here to judge you. I am your Head of House, and as such, I am here to mentor you, help you and also discipline you. But I cannot possibly do any of that if I don't know what is going on."

I responded dispassionately, on the verge of anger. "I need no one's help, Professor."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "I disagree, Raven. You have been acting strangely for a fortnight. And as I've said before, I am not the only one who's noticed it. I will be writing to your mother this evening, and until I hear back from her, I want you to think carefully about what is going on." He lifted my chin and looked me directly in the eye. "In Slytherin House you'll find your true friends, Raven. And they are worried for you. Think about that." He let go of me a whirled around to his desk, obviously dismissing me.

I turned around and slowly walked to my next class, Herbology, which I shared with the Gryffindors. I managed to get there just before Professor Sprout, not that I would have cared otherwise, and trudged over to stand next to Jesse, who had a worried frown on his face which I ignored.

After Professor Sprout set us to work on weeding the less-dangerous plants, such as muddle-pods and a few of the potted herbs that supplied the school kitchens, I suddenly found a bright head of red hair in my peripheral vision. Ginny. Great.

Under the din of everyone else working, Ginny nudged me and said in tone that tried to sound light but didn't, "Are you doing alright, Raven? Slytherin treating you well?"

I rolled my eyes at the stupidity of her question. "I don't know," I bit back, pulling at the weeds much more forcefully than necessary. "Why don't you ask everyone else? They seem to know how I'm feeling better than I do." I thought back to my recent conversation with Snape.

Jesse must have heard my muttering, because he suddenly looked at Ginny and sneered loudly. "Gryffindor, why don't you go back to the poor side of the greenhouse? Your stench is killing my muddle-pod."

Donnie, Jack and Ashley snickered from his other side, and Jack moved around Donnie and Jesse to shove Ginny away and stand on my left side. "Go back where you came from, muggle-lover," he hissed, and Ginny's petite face scrunched up in a hard frown, her eyes flickering softly over my blank face before turning away and moving down the table, closer to the other Gryffindors.

Jack turned his tawny head back to me and slung a quick arm around my shoulder before going back to his weeding. "Don't let those stupid lions get to you, Raven. We'll protect yeh." His hazel eyes sparkled in mischief, and his smile made me stop and actually notice the four boys around me. It was almost as if I never really noticed them before.

They were like this little gang of followers, yet still individuals. They either ignored me or clung around me like personal bodyguards, yet either way they made fun of me and teased me like I was an honorary boy. But if anybody ever got in my way, there one or all of them were, making sure whoever it was knew not to do it again. They almost treated me like a princess or queen. But really, they were little mischief-makers, although they never got me involved, to which I was grateful.

There was Jack, a light brown-haired, hazel-eyed bloke, who was smart and ruthless, and a little bigger than the other boys our age, although nowhere near as massive as Crabbe and Goyle.

Ashley was a blond and loud, his brown eyes a stark contrast to the rest of his pale features. He was a bit smaller, and I think he was loud and obnoxious to make up for it, but he was growing quickly.

Donnie was dark-haired, dark-eyed, and was generally more broody than anything else. He was usually quiet, but sometimes he would joke around with the rest of them, although I think he was more a voice a reason than anything else. I think having a sister who was eight or nine years your senior did that to you. I also think he knew more about this school and ways to get around the rules than he let on. Another side effect of having an older sibling that went to Hogwarts.

And then there was Jesse. He was bright, funny, and smart—very smart. He knew the strangest things too. Really, he was too smart for his own good, and he came up with the craziest plans of them all. But the funny thing was, they worked. Flawlessly. Even at twelve, the boy was a genius. But he was helpless around girls. He looked confident on the outside, but really, he was a nervous wreck. Of course, I didn't notice all that until much later, when I started caring again.

And together, all four of them, huddled in their own little boy world, were satisfied that their pranks would pay off some day, and taking me on as their something to justify any caring that might be seen by the world outside of Slytherin House.

But they did care about me, I saw in Jack's eyes that day, which might be hard to accept, seeing as we resided in the house known not to give a damn about anyone but themselves.

Slytherin House.

The complexity underneath the sneering and ruthless façade.

_Is this what Snape was talking about?

* * *

_

_**A/N:** I just want to let you all know that I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out. I've been thinking and thinking about this story, and to be honest, I'm feeling that I need to take a break. Not from writing it, no…more of a re-organisational break. I've definitely lost touch with how I feel this story is supposed to feel, and I think that I need to take time to re-organise it all in my head and write it down. There are certain things planned, but there are lots of things that aren't, and I feel that those things are holding me back from making this story as good as it can be. So, if there are any updates to this story in the near future, it will be to previous chapters. I feel as though there isn't as much depth in the previous chapters as I'd like. In other words, all that's written is Raven's interaction with the canon characters, and not those in her own class and/or other things going on. I feel as though I rushed through things a bit quickly. So—I'm planning on adding a few scenes in, and fleshing out the story. But I may just leave it how it is, although I do feel that it needs some major work to be up to par with my other writing._

_Again, I am sorry about this, but I really feel that it needs to be done. I hope you understand._

_I love you all, and I'll try to work through it all quickly, although with the end of term coming up in the next two weeks, I'll be awfully busy. If I do write a new chapter, I will put it up immediately._

**Review Responses: **

**Blinded One: **I'm sorry I've confused you even more. Maybe I should just tell you… :S Thank you for reviewing, I really enjoy your enthusiasm.

**SmileyFace3: **lol. Harry's still not sure how to act about Draco. He's definitely having problems decided which course of action would be best (which is kind of against his jump-in-head-first instincts, I know), but not only does he need to worry about making sure Raven's okay, but he's also worrying about Sirius Black as well. But he'd like nothing more than to get his hands around Draco's neck himself… And I must say, that as a reviewer, you've given me some wonderful ideas for this story…now all I need to do is fit them in when I start re-organising it… Thank you again for reviewing!

**Thank you all, and please review!**


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